A border poll by 2030? Here are some of the republican movement’s past prophesies about a united Ireland

By Henry McDonald
Published 22nd Jul 2022, 11:10 BST
Updated 22nd Jul 2022, 12:41 BST
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Following a fresh estimate of when Sinn Fein believes a united Ireland will come to pass, the News Letter here revisits some past forecasts on the subject.

This week Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald predicted there would be an Irish unity referendum by 2030.

However...

> In 1974 the Provisional IRA produced a poster predicting that this year would be “the year of victory”;

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Sinn Fein mural in west BelfastSinn Fein mural in west Belfast
Sinn Fein mural in west Belfast

> In 1998 after the Belfast Agreement was signed Sinn Fein briefed the Irish media that it would lead to a united Ireland within 15 years;

> In New York in 2000 Gerry Adams predicted there could be a united Ireland by 2016;

> In 2003 the late Martin McGuinness also said there would be a united Ireland by 2016;

> In 2020 Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill separately predicted that there would be a united Ireland within 10 years due to Brexit.

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