Letter: Unionists won almost total victory in 1998 yet have blown it by antagonising those who will decide the future of Northern Ireland

On the May 22 1998 the nationalist people of Ireland voted overwhelmingly to accept partition, to recognise British sovereignty over Northern Ireland, and to fully recognise, co-operate with and work with the Northern Irish state apparatus including the police and security forces.

After more than 80 years of ‘struggle’ they settled for a mere ‘promise’ that if in the mere ‘opinion’ of a British cabinet minister there was a majority in favour of a united Ireland, that a referendum would be called and if passed NI would secede from the UK.

Bearing in mind the seminal divisions in Irish political life caused by partition, the Good Friday Agreement was almost total victory for the unionist position and the icing on the cake was removing the ability of ‘perfidious Albion’ to give NI away unilaterally to Dublin.

All unionism had to do to keep NI in the UK was to keep the swing vote on side ie soft unionists, soft nationalists and those not born in NI who might have a vote in any future ‘border poll’.

But instead they have gone out of their way to antagonise those who will decide their future, fighting or delaying ‘concessions’ that are the norm in almost every other European country with a significant indigenous (foreign) national minority.

If bilingual signs were a threat to the Union, Wales and Scotland would have been independent decades ago, yet unionism opposition to these signs is guaranteed to disaffect all Catholic/nationalists in NI for which the language is a cultural totem.

The piece de resistance has to be unionists support for Brexit, which is viewed by the now majority Catholic/nationalist community as a blatant attempt to reverse the GFA, put a halt to the burgeoning ‘All Ireland Economy’ and re-establish a hard border with the Republic through the back door.

The subsequent support by unionism for a hard Brexit despite a majority of the electorate in NI voting against Brexit, then permanently alienated even those nationalists who are doing very well in NI and prior to 2016 were happy enough with the post 1998 arrangements.

Disastrously this strategic 'own goal' has also alienated both 'soft unionists' and the increasingly pivotal migrant community, which previously were likely unionist-leaning.

In this context the persistent whining of Messrs Allister, Polley et al on the issue of the Irish Sea border is counter-productive and guaranteed to only alienate the swing vote even more.

But it is probably too late now anyway what with a Catholic majority and massive budgetary difficulties in the UK, I get the impression from this remove that unionism knows the Union is increasingly unsustainable and the situation is likely to get worse.

If that is so then it is better to pre-empt the inevitable and bargain with Dublin and London for continued self government within a united Ireland and a lengthy transition with increased funding from both during that transition.

Waiting until the day after losing the border poll will reduce unionism to begging or threatening terrorism against the Irish state. ie not a great bargaining position.

Gearoid O’Morain, Co Cork