Sinn Fein's leader in the North, Michelle O'Neill. Image, Yountube, fair use.
When my friend Rob arrived at university, he discovered one of his flatmates was a passionate Northern Irish unionist. Rob, a Jewish socialist from London, was rather surprised by his new pal’s dedication to a Britain which has never returned the favour. And he vowed that, by the end of the week, he would have converted the poor fellow to the cause of a united Ireland.
Over the following days, Rob and his new friend did what freshers are known for: they toured the pubs and cafes of their newfound home and met hundreds of other recent arrivals, most of whom they would never speak to again. But each time they introduced themselves, Rob did something perhaps a little cruel. He asked this new acquaintance, in front of his Loyalist flatmate, what they knew about Northern Ireland. He interrogated them about which country it was in: the UK or Ireland. And he inquired whether or not they cared.
