He recalls being stopped as a six-year-old in the 1950s by customs officials on a visit to an aunt across the Border. “Push it away out,” he says, suggesting the Irish Sea is the best place for the Border. The idea of no agreement on Brexit and no guarantee to avoid a hard border terrifies Liam McNally. Shaun Irvine, a former chairman of the Northern Ireland Livestock Marts Association, estimates that 80-90 per cent of 150,000 lambs sold at his Ballymena Mart head south. Living almost 30km from the Border, Lowe can see the six counties of Northern Ireland from his farm.

Source: The Irish Times March 28, 2018 00:00 UTC