IRFU is a shining example of how this island we call home can succeed

The rugby body’s structure offers the ideal template for a prosperous land free from bitterness and division, says David G Quinn

IT is time to re-imagine the future of this island. Time to dream up a new vision for this little rocky patch on the shore of the north Atlantic. This collection of 32 counties that we call home. This land of built up districts and rural areas that is known separately as the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and collectively as the island of Ireland.

The decision by our nearest neighbour to leave the EU has provided us with an opportunity to take this imaginative journey. In this case, Britain’s difficulty really is Ireland’s opportunity.

So, where do we start? Well, like a farmer once said when asked for directions to the nearest village, “I wouldn’t start from here”. The current structures of this island and most of the language we use to describe it are just too loaded. Sorry. Titles such as the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland have just too much baggage for too many people, so we will have to get rid of them. Same goes for terms such as Republican, Nationalist, Unionist, Loyalist and even United Ireland. Basically any loaded term, title or phrase that is used to describe this island should be banned. This will free us to truly roam the green fields of our imagination and come up with a new vision.

Happily we don’t have to go too far to find a successful template. One on which we might model the future political structure of the island. It is a structure that on one level brings people from all corners of the island together for a shared common purpose and on another level, allows them to express both their provincial and local identities. It is such a successful structure that it has propelled us to the very top tier amongst the nations of the earth and has allowed us to dream that maybe one day later this year we could even win a World Cup. I am, of course, talking about the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). Come with me for a moment and let’s imagine our future based on this model.

Instead of the RoI and NI, we could have four mini republics based on the provinces — Ulster, Leinster, Munster and Connacht. These four provinces would come together to form a confederation which would be known as the Confederation of Ireland. Each province would have its own local government. There are many international models we could learn from here such as the German Federated Republics, the Swiss cantons or even the states in the United States of America. Each province would have its own capital city — Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Galway. These provincial governments would replace the current county councils. Voters in each province would also send representatives to a central confederated parliament. How powers are split between the provinces and confederated government shouldn’t be that difficult to work out. There are plenty of international examples as well as the IRFU itself to learn from.

So where would this Confederated Parliament meet? Well, for starters Leinster House and Stormont are out — too much baggage, I’m afraid. So let’s commission our top architect to design a landmark building — a structure that would become an international symbol of our new political arrangement. A number of potential locations for this new parliament spring to mind — a central location in the biggest city, perhaps on the waterfront in the Dublin docklands, or the geographic centre of the island, a riverside site on the banks of the Shannon in Athlone, for example, or maybe even at the site of the seat of the old high kings of Ireland in Tara, Co Meath. We could even discuss bringing back an Irish royal family while we’re at it. We could track down the descendants of Hugh O’Neill or Brian Boru and re-instate them as Head of State.

Or maybe we could have a directly elected president with some real executive powers like the president of the USA. We could commission our leading composers and designers to come up with a new anthem and design a new flag. The GAA could bring back the Railway Cup and we could have a decent All-Ireland soccer league with four provincial teams of Champions League standard. Just imagine Munster vs Barcelona. Or Ulster vs Man City.

In this scenario, Northern Ireland would not be uniting with the Republic of Ireland or vice versa. Instead, a newly enlarged province of Ulster would be taking its place alongside Connacht, Munster and Leinster to create a new Confederation of Ireland. And, like in the IRFU, people born outside the island of Ireland will be welcome on board to play their part too.

To make this happen, we need a politician with vision. A person who can imagine and articulate a positive future. And who can take all the people of this island with them on that journey. Is that person out there right now? I really hope so.

‘Leinster House and Stormont are out — too much baggage’