But many in Ireland, north and south of the Border, remain more than a little anxious that it has not gone away, you know. It goes through every village and town in Northern Ireland, and in some places in Belfast it is so hard that it takes the form of very high brick walls topped by razor wire. Today I have an equally strong feeling that it is largely (though not completely) people on the other side of the little “borders” who are feeling afraid. Since I last wrote, there has been some development in your government’s appreciation of the concept of consent in democratic arrangements for Northern Ireland. Of course, we understand that Northern Ireland is a very small province and that Ireland is a small country to be at the centre of European geopolitics.

Source: The Irish Times October 29, 2019 00:56 UTC