A REUNITED IRELAND
A UNITED Ireland seems closer than ever with Brexit, a booming economy and political change.
Once seen as a nationalists’ dream, Irish unity is now within “touching distance” as Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou Mcdonald said recently.
Yet it’s still a controversial and sensitive topic.
Historical entertainer PADDY
CULLIVAN, right, says it doesn’t need to be.
He sets out his imaginative view of what Ireland 2032 might look like in his new show, entitled I Can’t Believe It’s Not Ireland.
Mixing challenging history with Artificial Intelligence imagery, he explains why we already have so much in common — we just don’t realise it.
He projects a new parliamentary capital in Athlone, a new flag and an anthem that refers to one of our strongest identities: the weather.
He illustrates a modern highspeed rail network that could reduce travel times between cities to 15 minutes, where beautifullyrestored cities like Belfast, Cork and Galway are powered by their rivers, and even a Dublin Metro.
Satirical and surreal, it ultimately has a sincere message: There is a lot that unites us, once we work together for the greater good.
Here, he explains his unique vision of an Ireland reunited...
MY VISION of a reunified Ireland is drawn from amazing experiences touring the North last year with my show The Murder of Wolfe Tone.
Audiences were completely mixed, but all fascinated with the United Irishmen, the 1798 Rebellion and Wolfe Tone’s eternal message of replacing “Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter” with the “common name of Irishman”.
People of all persuasions talked openly to me about the future.
These conversations led to a new show about a great future together.
I Can’t Believe it’s Not Ireland foresees a brand new country – not just six counties added to the Republic – where everything works.
Using film, imagery, historical research, AI, comedy and songs, the first half of the show tells the history of Ireland from ancient Hibernia to plantation to partition, challenging both republican and loyalist viewpoints.
Suggestions I make are so controversial – and fair to the unionist mindset – I’d feel as comfortable doing the show in East Belfast as I would West Belfast.
I describe how in 2025 Ireland appoints a minister for reunification like Korea – and her hard work and preparation means when a Border Poll is held in 2030, it is passed overwhelmingly north and south.
The second half of the show deals with the years ahead. A new flag that expresses our role as cultural superpower and does away with the limiting identity politics of the Tricolour.
A new anthem – Oh Hibernia – that sings of our beauty, poetry, intellect and skill, not just our ability to fight.
Challenging ideas like rejoining the Commonwealth, moving the capital to Athlone and even reintroducing an Irish monarchy – anything to stop the cast of Dragon’s Den running for President again.
Because there’s comedy too – lighthearted issues like southern Tayto becoming the official crisp of the new Ireland brought guffaws and boos from my Belfast audience.
Yet afterwards all of them said one thing – they left the show on a high. People want – need – optimism over despair.
We all want a better future on this island. But it doesn’t stop the naysayers.
Recent projections that Ireland would cost €20bn a year may have made the partitionist elite clutch their wallets a little tighter.
But I was very proud of Leo Varadkar when he said unification “should never be about money. If you believe in the re-unification of your country, 3 or 4 per cent of GDP is a small price to pay”.
I have a plan to pay for it, including changing the hated €4bn-a-year “Universal” Social Charge (USC) to the “Ulster” Social Charge.
If we stop waste, objection culture and inertia, an all-ireland economy will take off like a rocket, soon allaying any fears of endless penury.
Unity is coming like the high-speed Sneachtapiercer train in my show.
The time has come to embrace and plan for it.
At best, we make a vastly better future for our young people north and south.
At worst, it will be great craic. What have we got to lose?
■ Paddy Cullivan is touring I Can’t Believe it’s Not Ireland all over Ireland, with the next gig on in Dolans, Limerick, on Wednesday, April 17.
■ Go to www.paddycullivan.com for tickets.
We all want a better future on this island PADDY CULLIVAN YESTERDAY