Elaine Byrne: Unification isn’t about territory, it’s about the unity of all of the people

The decision of the government parties not to support unionist Ian Marshall’s Seanad candidacy shows how far behind the curve they are

The view of land and territory as a physical objective that defines nationalism is anold-fashioned onePic: RollingNews.ie

The language around Irish unity tends to focus on the territorial unification of the Republic and the North – the “fourth green field” that Tommy Makem once sang about.

The Irish obsession with land has formed part and parcel of our national psyche. This was brilliantly characterised by the Bull McCabe in John B Keane's play The Field. Ireland will only be “A Nation Once Again,” in the words of Thomas Davis and the Wolfe ...