By Ben Collins

November 12, 2026

BELFAST — I published my first book, Irish Unity: Time to Prepare, in October 2022. Four years later, it appears that the two lead political parties in the Irish Government — Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael — are heeding that advice.

On Saturday, November 7^th, I attended the Fine Gael Ard Fheis (annual party conference) in Cork, where Simon Harris, leader of the party and Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) announced the publication of his party’s Unified Island blueprint Fine-Gael-Blueprint-Unified-Ireland during his primetime speech.

In a wide-ranging address, Harris only briefly referenced this document, but the impact was significant. For the first time since the founding of the Irish state, a party of government has published an outline of a plan for ending the partition of Ireland. The party will bring more detailed proposals forward at its Ard Fheis in 2027.

Fine Gael was founded in 1933, claiming the legacy of the late Michael Collins. The party was commonly known as Fine Gael – The United Ireland Party, abbreviated UIP, and its official title remains Fine Gael (United Ireland). Now, it is finally living up to that nomenclature.

While Fine Gael does not currently contest elections in Northern Ireland, it can potentially reach voters in the region that other parties cannot. Historically, Fine Gael has been seen as the most sympathetic to the UK and Unionists in Northern Ireland. It is seen as pro-business, pro-European and strong on law and order. Sinn Féin, while the largest party across the island, cannot garner the same breadth of support given its historic links with the Provisional IRA.

Those from a PUL (Protestant Unionist Loyalist) background in Northern Ireland tend to be overwhelmingly in favour of remaining part of the UK. But views are changing even among those who come from this background.

There are growing numbers of Protestants in Northern Ireland who embrace Irish unity (including me) by referring to ourselves as “Happy Lundys” which is a play on the 1990s Manchester band The Happy Mondays and the name of Governor Robert Lundy, who wanted to open the gates during the Siege of Derry in 1689. Lundy was branded a traitor, so “Lundy” is a disparaging term for pro-unity Protestants, and the Happy Lundys have appropriated it.

Fianna Fáil, once the bitter enemy of Fine Gael due to their opposing positions on the partition of Ireland and subsequent civil war, is now comfortably in government with its erstwhile nemesis.

The first is maintaining the status quo. The second is keeping Northern Ireland in a federal arrangement with the rest of Ireland. The third is going for a fully integrated model with the capital in Dublin.

In a development that would have been unthinkable when I published my first book on unification four years ago, in the coming weeks, the Taoiseach and Tánaiste will meet to discuss a government approach to Irish unity.

Until this announcement, Martin had been at pains to say that reconciliation needed to be a focus before unity could even be contemplated.

His Shared Island Initiative has allocated €2 billion to cross-border projects on the island. The initiative has been successful but it has caused much frustration for those who favour Irish unity to have progress on reconciliation used as a justification for delaying reunification.

In a development that would have been unthinkable when I published my first book on unification four years ago, in the coming weeks, the Taoiseach and Tánaiste will meet to discuss a government approach to Irish unity.

A recent LucidTalk poll that showed only a four-point gap between those who want to remain part of the UK and those who want a United Ireland has also added to a growing sense of momentum for Irish unity. LucidTalk has an excellent track record predicting previous Westminster, Northern Ireland Assembly and EU referendum results in Northern Ireland. That is one of the reasons why my own communications agency, Chambré Collins, has worked with LucidTalk.

LucidTalk has also tracked a significant upswing in support for Sinn Féin in voting intention at the next Northern Ireland Assembly election, which is due to take place on 6^th May 2027, partly due to a resurgence of controversy around Protestant Orange Order parades for the first time since 1998.

Barring some unexpected event, there is unlikely to be a border poll, or referendum, on Irish unity before 2030. But when we consider the long-term trajectory of the issue, particularly since 2016 and the Brexit vote, the direction of travel on support for unity seems clear. Unlike with Brexit, we can look forward to a detailed plan on Irish Unity being prepared by the Irish Government. That means an informed debate between the status quo and a United Ireland alternative.

As the author of The Irish Unity Dividend, it will be no surprise which way I’m going to vote. I look forward to debating the options and exercising my democratic right to choose, as set out in the Good Friday Agreement.

As James Maloney MP, Chair of the Canada-Ireland Interparliamentary Group, stated in the foreword to my first book: “Canada played an important part in the Northern Ireland peace process and the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, which still provides a framework for the peaceful transition to Irish unity.”

I believe the reunification of Ireland will be seen as a positive development across the globe. These planning initiatives are just the beginning. As is said in Irish “Tús Maith Leath Na Hoibre”: “A good start is half the work”.

Policy Contributing Writer Ben Collins is a Belfast-based communications consultant and author of  Irish Unity: Time to Prepare, and The Irish Unity Dividend.