There is broad agreement among voters in Northern Ireland and in the Republic that east-west links between Ireland the UK should continue even if the North votes to join a united Ireland in any future referendum. Asked whether the principal east-west institution of the Belfast Agreement, the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIC), should continue if there … Read more
There is a stark divide on attitudes to immigration between Sinn Féin voters in Northern Ireland and in the Republic, with Northerners much more positive about the effects of inward migration than their Southern counterparts, according to the findings of voter surveys in both parts of the island. On the whole, voters in both Northern … Read more
Since 2022, the annual ARINS/Irish Times surveys have asked representative samples of the public in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland what they think about key aspects of the debate about possible Irish unification. They have been asked whether they think referendums should be held, and, if so, when. And, in that event, … Read more
Joseph O’Connor can remember the moment when he decided to become a writer. “If I thought about it carefully enough, I could probably come up with the week, certainly the month,” he says. “When I was 17, my first girlfriend gave me a copy of The Catcher in the Rye. She had very cool parents … Read more
Stronger economic growth in the Republic of Ireland has a notable positive ripple effect on Northern Ireland’s economy, according to a groundbreaking economic model developed by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and the UK’s National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR). The collaborative effort, supported by employers’ group Ibec, introduces a macroeconomic … Read more
The NHS was introduced in 1948 by the then British minister for health Aneurin Bevin and delivered free healthcare for all at the point of delivery. Much has changed over the years; once lauded as the best health system in the world, comparative to peer countries, it has dropped considerably down that league ladder and … Read more