I'm not really Irish since I was born in England - my family on my Mother's side hail from there. But I do live in Northern Ireland (but don't quiz me on politics - I ashamedly know very little). When you're born in NI you can become and Irish or British citizen (or both I think) - which would be to placate both nationalist and unionist communities. I've lived here since 2003 but I haven't really bothered to find out if I'm applicable for Irish citizenship. If both parents are Irish citizens I believe you automatically become one too.

So really I'm British. Or, by this point, Northern Irish since I don't have any real connection to down South beyond ancestry.

I don't know where I fall on the NI issue - a result of my political ignorance - but I certainly don't have any romantic ties to either side of the fence.

But in regards to a referndum one can be called by the Northern Ireland Assembly if members feel that a majority of voters would want it. How they figure this out - I do not know - but I imagine it's through surveys or something.

Although, and I may be wrong here, I imagine the desire for a United Ireland, at least in the ideological sense, is declining here and recent generations become less enamored with the nationalist ideology that was strong during the Troubles.

But yeah. Some people from nationalist communities like to use the Irish translation of their name. Usually on facebook.

Yes, things get progressively louder each time it happens. And then you eventually hit a certain tipping point and there's enough popular support that some ambitious politician sees it as being in his/her own best self-interest to support it, and more follow on as well, and then eventually things change. Even if you say that government is completely in the pocket of big business; with the one exception of the arms industry, wars are bad for business. They''ll start lobbying in support of anything to prevent a civil war.

In summary: The likelihood of shit progressing that far is exceedingly low.