On Saturday, in Belfast’s SSE Arena, the metaphorical significance was impossible to ignore. As local musician Van Morrison belted out a song about moving from the dark side of the street to the brighter side of the path, Michelle O’Neill took to the stage for the rally organised by Ireland’s Future. Several thousand individuals sacrificed their leisurely afternoons to listen to numerous speakers sharing their thoughts on progressing towards Irish unity – a future that, to them, seemed in no doubt.
The topic was not about the if, but about the when. The discussions didn’t revolve around the probability of a unified Ireland but leaned towards strategising its actualisation. The aim, as Peadar Tóibín, the leader of Aontú, emphasised, was to reach “that sunny day”.
The ambitions of Ireland’s Future are in plain sight. Their proposed timeline is available to everyone, with the next general election in Ireland potentially taking place in November 2024, within the conference brochure. An early border poll in 2030 is a fundamental aspiration of theirs, calling for the forthcoming government’s cooperation to work diligently towards achieving it.
Last week’s local and European elections and Sinn Féin’s performance there in southern Ireland didn’t influence the attendees. Sinn Féin supporter Seán Mac Stíofáin, from Belfast, confidently stated, “Northern nationalists are the architects of unity”. He credits Sinn Féin’s leadership and their international perspective, policies, and overall political acumen for his confidence.
Jimmy Gaston, from Dunloy, Co Antrim, dismissed the disappointing election result as merely a “hiccup”. He emphasized, “This is about more than just Sinn Féin.” His companion Seán McErlean was among those who refuted the idea that Sinn Féin had not performed well in the election despite gaining more local seats. He optimistically noted that it wasn’t as dismal as it initially appeared.
Accompanied by another companion, Liam O’Neill, the three, and all other North Antrim Sinn Féin members, adopted a macroscopic perspective. O’Neill assertively proclaimed, “Three decades ago, such an event wouldn’t have been feasible in Belfast or anywhere in the North.”
They maintained an optimistic stance, holding firmly to the belief that they’d witness Ireland’s unification within their lives. “A solid guarantee,” McErleain voiced confidently.
Within the confines of the venue, this is what caught the audience’s attention. Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was queried by reporter Jim Fitzpatrick regarding the recent electoral results and their implications on the discourse of Irish unity. “I can’t be certain,” Varadkar responded hesitantly.
When pushed to assess its impact on the call for a Border poll, he sought to draw a distinction: “I perceive them as unrelated… I don’t surmise a singular election influencing the schedule or the result of the plebiscite.”
Sinn Féin’s president, Mary Lou McDonald, was content to steer the conversation forward. Following a week of unpredictability, this was familiar territory. When requested to define what Irish unity epitomized for her, she received applause for her response: “Liberty!”
Still, as pointed out by Ireland’s Future, much remains unresolved. The question over whether the ‘authentic [Northern] Tayto’ or ‘Free Stayto’ should prevail in a united Ireland sparked jovial banter among the audience.
Reflecting upon the situation, Aine Kerr, a Belfast resident, underscored the importance of advance coordination. “Education, health – what’s their future?”
However, her associate Frances Boyle chimed in with an intriguing query: “Is the South inclined to accept the North?”
Among the numerous uncertainties surrounding possible constitutional amendments and potentially a united Ireland, the primary concern is unionism.
The North Antrim group found solace in the diversity of the speakers.
Unionist politicians have become known for not participating in events organized by Ireland’s Future. However, there was some expression of alternative opinions during a panel discussion titled “Protestant perspectives”. One of the panelists, Wallace Thompson, a foundational member of the Democratic Unionist Party, mentioned the significant criticism and hostility he had faced from numerous unionist colleagues due to his support for a united Irish nation.
David Adams, an ex-loyalist paramilitary, highlighted a conundrum with a thought-provoking question: “Is it genuinely assumed that two million unsettled individuals from the North can be incorporated into the political and societal fabric of the progressive liberal democracy South of us without any problems?”