Fintan O'Toole MRIA is a columnist with The Irish Times and advising editor of the New York Review of Books. His many books on Irish history, politics, society and culture include We Don't Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland. He has been awarded the European Press Prize, the Orwell Prize for Journalism and the Robert Silvers Prize for Journalism.Sam McBride is the Northern Ireland Editor of the Belfast Telegraph and the Sunday Independent newspapers. He also writes on Northern Ireland for The Economist. He is a former Political Editor of the Belfast News Letter and has made a BBC film about the Northern Bank robbery. He is author of The Sunday Times bestseller Burned: The Inside Story of the 'Cash-for-Ash' Scandal and Northern Ireland's Secretive New Elite and is a regular broadcaster. Sam lives in Belfast with his wife and two young children.

• - Introduction1. The case against a united Ireland — 1FINTAN O’TOOLE2. The case for a united Ireland — 33SAM McBRIDE3. The case for a united Ireland — 73FINTAN O’TOOLE4. The case against a united Ireland — 109SAM McBRIDE- Postscript 149- Endnotes 155- Further reading 167- Acknowledgements 169- Index 171

‘I would make this balanced and scrupulous treatment of the great existential issue of this island required reading for every Irish and Northern Irish sixth year school student and first year undergraduate (and their parents).’

Fintan O'Toole MRIA is a columnist with The Irish Times and advising editor of the New York Review of Books. His many books on Irish history, politics, society and culture include We Don't Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland. He has been awarded the European Press Prize, the Orwell Prize for Journalism and the Robert Silvers Prize for Journalism.Sam McBride is the Northern Ireland Editor of the Belfast Telegraph and the Sunday Independent newspapers. He also writes on Northern Ireland for The Economist. He is a former Political Editor of the Belfast News Letter and has made a BBC film about the Northern Bank robbery. He is author of The Sunday Times bestseller Burned: The Inside Story of the 'Cash-for-Ash' Scandal and Northern Ireland's Secretive New Elite and is a regular broadcaster. Sam lives in Belfast with his wife and two young children.

• - Introduction1. The case against a united Ireland — 1FINTAN O’TOOLE2. The case for a united Ireland — 33SAM McBRIDE3. The case for a united Ireland — 73FINTAN O’TOOLE4. The case against a united Ireland — 109SAM McBRIDE- Postscript 149- Endnotes 155- Further reading 167- Acknowledgements 169- Index 171

‘I would make this balanced and scrupulous treatment of the great existential issue of this island required reading for every Irish and Northern Irish sixth year school student and first year undergraduate (and their parents).’

Fintan O'Toole MRIA is a columnist with The Irish Times and advising editor of the New York Review of Books. His many books on Irish history, politics, society and culture include We Don't Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland. He has been awarded the European Press Prize, the Orwell Prize for Journalism and the Robert Silvers Prize for Journalism.Sam McBride is the Northern Ireland Editor of the Belfast Telegraph and the Sunday Independent newspapers. He also writes on Northern Ireland for The Economist. He is a former Political Editor of the Belfast News Letter and has made a BBC film about the Northern Bank robbery. He is author of The Sunday Times bestseller Burned: The Inside Story of the 'Cash-for-Ash' Scandal and Northern Ireland's Secretive New Elite and is a regular broadcaster. Sam lives in Belfast with his wife and two young children.

• - Introduction1. The case against a united Ireland — 1FINTAN O’TOOLE2. The case for a united Ireland — 33SAM McBRIDE3. The case for a united Ireland — 73FINTAN O’TOOLE4. The case against a united Ireland — 109SAM McBRIDE- Postscript 149- Endnotes 155- Further reading 167- Acknowledgements 169- Index 171

‘I would make this balanced and scrupulous treatment of the great existential issue of this island required reading for every Irish and Northern Irish sixth year school student and first year undergraduate (and their parents).’