The call for a referendum on the unification of Ireland will increase after the census on Sunday, March 21, and will further clarify the population of this part of the British Isles that still rule London.

Announced to override

Most Northern Irish, mainly Protestant, want to remain under British rule, while most Catholics support unification. However, demographic trends suggest that this upcoming census will accelerate reorganization.

University researcher Dr. According to Paul Nolan, half of school-age children are Catholic and only a third are Protestant. “Over time, Catholic children will become voters, and they will, even if they do not now, so in the future the number of Catholics in Northern Ireland will be greater than the number of Protestants.

Relationship changes

While there was once a 60- to 40-year gap in favor of Protestants, the 2011 census shows that this gap has narrowed to just three percent. On the Protestant, pro-British Shank Road in Belfast, a former convicted extremist says the Catholic majority does not automatically mean a united Ireland. “Just because there are more Catholics does not mean they should join a united Ireland, I mean Catholics live in a country with social rights, and there is a national health service. People are more likely to make decisions than anything else. Billy Hutchinson explains

Catholic Progress

A 2016 survey revealed that there are more Catholics than Protestants in the workplace in Northern Ireland. Proponents of unification say that with the fall of Brexit, the demand for a united Ireland on both sides is growing. “Trade unionists see the devastation caused by Brexit and will continue to do so. I think some are beginning to take part in the discussion about what the new Ireland will look like.

Expectations are high for a census that will surpass the number of Catholics and Protestants for the first time in 300 years. If so, those in favor of a united Ireland will intensify their unification campaign in the years to come. The picture will be clear in a year.