A road sign marks the “End” of the 1,600-mile (2,600 km) route, which starts back in the historic port town of Kinsale. The Northern Ireland economy has slipped further and further behind the rest of the UK since the 1998 Belfast Agreement and is now the poorest and least productive region in the UK. It’s currently fighting to throw off the Northern Ireland protocol – the provision in the Brexit withdrawal agreement that seeks to avoid a hard border on the island. The longer the DUP keeps fighting against the North’s economic self-interest, the more the question of Irish unity will keep coming up. This is precisely because the DUP’s position on Brexit, the protocol and on social issues such as marriage equality and abortion is alienating young and moderate unionists.

Source: The Irish Times May 09, 2021 11:21 UTC