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16 June 2016 / Fionnuala Connolly
Issue: 7703 / Categories: Opinion , Brexit , EU
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Brexit: Should we stay or should we go?

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Fionnuala Connolly considers the implications of a Brexit for Northern Ireland

A vote for Brexit would clearly impact on many aspects of life in the UK For Northern Ireland, the smallest region (a population of 1.81m which represents 1.5% of the population of the UK), Brexit would arguably have significant consequences. The precise legal implications of Brexit for Northern Ireland are uncertain but I would suggest that there are number of unique features which distinguish this part of the UK.

A hard border?

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK to share a land border with another EU member state. Free movement of persons, goods, and services are a daily reality between the two jurisdictions. The border is regularly described as “invisible” and “soft”. On a car journey from Newry, County Down to Dundalk in County Louth, the only indication of crossing jurisdictions is a change of road signs (miles to kilometres) and road markings (white to yellow).

If Brexit happens, the border would take on

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