These polls are part of the North and South series, a joint project of ARINS and The Irish Times. ARINS is a research collaboration between the Royal Irish Academy and the University of Notre Dame in the United States, and is dedicated to analysing and researching Ireland North and South. Read more
February 2023
Fintan O’Toole: Ireland still lacking the sense of shared space needed for unity to become a reality
The Irish Times/ARINS survey shows that most Southerners would not even make minor cost-free concessions such as changing the national anthem in return for unity Read more
What are the real divides between North and South?
Hugh Linehan: If politics is downstream of culture, then culture is where we need to look Read more
ARINS Podcast episode no. 19 ARINS/Irish Times survey: Origins and Outcomes – host Rory Montgomery is joined by John Garry and Brendan O’Leary Listen here
January 2023
No friends in the North: Partition has become embedded in the daily lives of people on the island, writes Pat Leahy
North and South: Lack of personal connection may be as much of a barrier to Irish unity as the constitutional arrangements Read more
Little interaction between people living North and South, new polls show, writes Pat Leahy
Two-thirds of people in the Republic say they have no friends in Northern Ireland as research shows partition has become a fact Read more
Just one big political party registers strongly with voters North and South, write John Garry and Brendan O’Leary
The latest findings of the North and South poll explores what an all-island party system might look like Read more
Sinn Féin would be the strongest party in a united Ireland, research shows, writes Pat Leahy
Just 12% of voters in Republic and 11% in North view preparations for unity referendum as a top priority Read more
Northern and southern voters have similar views on wealth redistribution, writes Pat Leahy
Research finds some differences on social issues, such as abortion Read more
Big division across North and South remains national identification, write John Garry and Brendan O’Leary
Research shows the socially liberal position has a clear lead over the socially conservative one
December 2022
Prof Brendan O’Leary and Irish Times features editor Mary Minihan join Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy to discuss the findings of the poll. Listen to Inside Politics podcast
Northern Ireland rejects Irish unity by large margin, poll shows, writes Pat Leahy
Northern Ireland would vote decisively against a united Ireland if there was a Border poll, according to an Ipsos opinion poll for a new research project into North-South relations and political views on the future of the island. The poll shows almost twice as many voters who expressed a preference want to remain in the United Kingdom. In the Republic, however, there is a majority of more than four to one in favour of unity, according to a simultaneous and identical poll. Read more
Debate over symbols of a united Ireland shows up a big North-South difference, write John Garry and Brendan O’Leary
The idea of creating a new flag or a new national anthem for a united Ireland fills many southerners with unease. In both cases, almost half of the public in the South (47 or 48 per cent) are less likely to vote for a united Ireland and only 15 per cent are more likely – resulting in a net influence score of -32 or -33. In contrast, among the public in Northern Ireland, a new flag and anthem tends to make people more, rather than less, likely to support unification (net scores of +6 and +7). Read more
Many voters in Republic unwilling to make concessions to unionists to facilitate Irish unity, poll shows, writes Pat Leahy
Peace, economy and health service top concerns North and South Read more
Health service, economy and peace are key concerns about united Ireland, write John Garry and Brendan O’Leary
The type of health service on offer in a united Ireland will have massive influence on whether the public in Northern Ireland would vote for unity in a referendum. Read more
Southern support for united Ireland is wide, but not deep, writes Pat Leahy
While voters in Republic back unity, they seem unwilling to make changes to accommodate it Read more
United Ireland ‘almost impossible to accept’, say large minority of Protestant voters, writes Pat Leahy
Poll indicates hard core of unionist voters who would be fiercely opposed to unity Read more
Resistance to accepting united Ireland driven by fear of losing identity, write John Garry and Brendan O’Leary
Focus groups: ‘I think I would be concerned that violence would raise its ugly head again’ Read more
Support for protocol varies between North and South, write John Garry and Brendan O’Leary
Northern Ireland poll: EU membership an attraction for many voters in Northern Ireland Read more
Majority in Northern Ireland favours rejoining EU, poll finds, writes Pat Leahy
Voters from Catholic background back EU membership overwhelmingly while majority from Protestant background want to stay outside bloc Read more
A Border poll this decade remains likely and preparing for it is essential, writes Colin Harvey
The evidence-based, constructive, civic dialogue on how best to achieve Irish unity defies the noisy, ugly caricatures of its critics Read more
Avoiding a rerun of Brexit by planning ahead, write John Garry and Brendan O’Leary
Voters want to know what a united Ireland means before any referendum, but unionist politicians won’t want any such discussions until after a referendum Read more
Integrated vs devolved: two possible forms for united Ireland that divide opinion North and South, write John Garry and Brendan O’Leary
North favours a devolved model, while southern voters prefer an integrated model within which Northern Ireland would cease to exist as a political unit Read more
Voters in Republic would abolish Stormont in united Ireland, writes Pat Leahy
Northern voters prefer to keep separate institutions such as Assembly, along with devolved powers Read more
‘See this united Ireland thing, put that on the back burner and get the cost of living sorted first’, writes Freya McClements
Derry unionists bristle at prospect of constitutional change with more pressing concerns to worry about Read more
Who benefits from a united Ireland? Expectations are mixed, write John Garry and Brendan O’Leary
Advocates must convince Northern voters of economic benefits and future growth prospects Read more
Majority of northern voters reject need to become Irish citizens in the event of unity, poll shows, writes Pat Leahy
Series shows enthusiasm for a Border poll, but populations far apart on many other issues Read more
