Most people in the South have no friends or relations in Northern Ireland, have not crossed the Border in the past five years, have not taken an overnight trip there, writes Pat Leahy as latest Irish Times/ARINS research released ArinsProject
Asked if they had ever taken a day trip to the other jurisdiction in the past five years, a quarter of Northern respondents said they had not. In the Republic the proportion was more than twice as high – 51 per cent of people said they had not been to the North in the past five years.
The pattern in the South is noticeably asymmetric: Southerners go North less frequently. A further 19 per cent said they had visited the North on a day trip just once in the past five years, while 22 per cent said they had visited on a day trip “lots of times”. Just 7 per cent said they had visited the North “lots of times” over the past five years.Not surprisingly, the numbers of those who have take an overnight trip to the other jurisdiction is smaller.
This separation is further illuminated in the focus group discussions held in both jurisdictions, which illuminated a relationship that is sometimes distant and uncomprehending. “I think the British people up there are even more British than the people living in England, if you get me, and the Irish people up there are extremely Irish more than what we would be,” said one southern participant.
Perhaps not surprisingly, they found that people from a Catholic background in Northern Ireland were more likely to have strong cross-Border connections, and Catholics with such connections were more likely to be in favour of Irish unity. This correlation is much weaker for people from a Protestant background, suggesting that for many people from that community having good relations with the South is compatible with opposition to Irish unity.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Home | StellarSTELLAR Magazine, Irish Fashion, Irish Women's Magazine, Irish Beauty, shops in Ireland, celebrity news, glossy magazine, Fade Street, make-up tips, Irish style, Vip Magazine Group
Read more »
Tánaiste pays tribute to Pte Seán Rooney at memorial for fallen Irish soldiers in South LebanonMicheál Martin joined by Defence Forces chief of staff in honouring Pte Rooney, who was killed in an attack in December
Read more »
Northerners are more connected to the South than southerners are to the NorthNorth and South: We examined whether cross-Border connections decrease with distance from the Border
Read more »
Two-thirds of people in Republic have no friends in Northern Ireland, survey showsPolls show partition has become a fact, with stark separation between the two societies
Read more »
Vehemence of Italy’s reaction to wine warning plan has taken Irish diplomats aback❝ The Italian foreign minister suggested Ireland’s plans were part of efforts to deliberately replace Italy’s food heritage with products from abroad, propounding something like a version of the “great replacement” theory, but for Italian food
Read more »