Alienation and identity were the dominant themes in the first and only hustings of the Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) preferendum on the unification of Ireland this afternoon, as the pro-unity and neutrality sides squared off in discussion that returned time and time again to the disputed timeline for a united Ireland.
Despite the variant rhetoric and apparent distance between the two sides, both seemed to share many of the same ideals. When Olly Donnelly, one of the senior members of the neutral side, warned that a “large narrative” of a united Ireland might make “lots of unionist people feel under threat”, Conall Moran, his counterpart on the pro-unity side, countered with his plans to accommodate all communities in a united Ireland.
At times, both sides seemed to have less separating them than uniting them. It wasn’t the neutral side advocating for a soft border, but Moran, telling the crowd “we’re not looking for a referendum to be called tomorrow or next week”, promising in the short to medium term to lobby the government against a hard border. With his talk of not wanting to “hurt the long term chances of getting a united Ireland”, the pro-unity side showed that they also don’t want to rush towards a border poll.
Indeed, when Donnelly said that “we want to have that debate slowly and allow views to change over time”, he didn’t sound that different from Moran, who standing atop the steps of the Dining Hall in his “pro-unity” t-shirt, called for measures to accommodate unionists in the politics of a united Ireland and in the Dáil, who he said would play a “massive role” in the pro-unity stance.
“We have seen so much more done by discussing it proactively”, Moran told the crowd.
Discussion of whom could claim the title nationalist was clearly a sore point. Donnelly, who told the crowd repeatedly that he believed in a united Ireland, rejected the idea that the pro-unity side could “claim a hegemonic idea over what a nationalist should do”. Some people, he said, had “felt very alienated and put out by this campaign”. This wasn’t intentional on either side, but the natural result of such polarised discussions, he said. Neutrality, Donnelly said, would “create an environment where conversation is facilitated”.
Despite TCDSU President, Kieran McNulty’s, pleas for civil debate and discussion, there were firm disagreements. Both sides stood on opposite sides of the Dining Hall steps, clapping loudly and cheering for their own side. Questions too, were often pointed, and both sides were more than ready to challenge the other repeatedly throughout the hustings.
Donnelly was also accompanied by Maeve McCann and Sally-Anne McCarthy to speak on behalf of the Trinity for Neutrality campaign. Donnelly, who hails from West Belfast, began his speech by clarifying that he considered himself to be a nationalist, but while living in Northern Ireland he had the pleasure to know members from both sides of the community and people who did not identify with either. As a result of this background, Donnelly argued that it was important for all voices to be heard and stated his belief that “it would be a mistake for Trinity” to choose one side in the debate.
Donnelly argued further that the best way to bring about unity for Northern Ireland in his opinion would be to wait until the political and societal climate was ready but due to “recent instability” now was not that time. “A border poll in the North doesn’t seem to be on the cards, or even close to the political discussions that are happening”, Donnelly told the crowd.
Bringing the conversation back to Trinity, Donnelly explaining that “casting a side in a divisive and specifically ethnic political issue, where one side will always be alienated, is a sure fire-way to make a whole lot of people feel unrepresented and unwanted”, with Donnelly adding that this was something he felt the preferendum had already done.
One of the first queries put to the neutrality campaign from the crowd was which part of the pro-unity campaign did they believe could instill fear in anyone in Northern Ireland. Donnelly clarified though, that there was not one thing the pro-unity campaign was doing to create fear and alienate but rather that the fact there was a preferendum atall was, saying: “Having a large narrative and possible calls for a southern referendum on the border…that makes a lot of unionist people feel under threat” and that in turn triggers defensive attitudes.
When asked why the neutral campaign felt that their opposition could not just as equally campaign for a soft border, McCarthy said that a “mandate limits what we can and can’t fight for”. For her, a pro-unification stance campaigned for no border, rather than a soft border.
Speaking for the pro-unity side was Carly Bailey, who spoke about coming from a border area between Co Cavan and Co Fermanagh, and how growing up having a border with stops and checkpoints was “normal” for her, and how it was a “traumatic” time for many people living in border areas. Having two children, Bailey emphasised that “I can’t and won’t allow that to be normal for my children to grow up with”.
Bailey went on to talk about how the students’ union has had stances on many divisive issues in the passed, referring to the repeal the eighth campaign that the union is mandated to lobby for: “Of course some people are vehemently in favour and some people vehemently against, but that doesn’t mean that the students’ union shouldn’t take a stance on it.” Bailey questioned why this referendum was any different, saying that with or without students’ unions the conversation is happening around the country.
Second to speak for pro-unity was Moran, who spoke about how this referendum allows debate and discussion around the issue to occur. He took the stance that if the student body were to vote for neutrality “we end up stopping this debate, it doesn’t happen anymore”.
McCarthy questioned the pro-unity side on their point that voting neutrality would stop debate. In response to the question Bailey asked: “When have we ever had a discussion about a united Ireland in Trinity college before this vote?”, continuing by saying that “Ireland, and probably most places really, have a long history of avoiding difficult conversations”, and if students were to vote neutral “it means we’re out of the debate, full stop”.
A member of the neutrality campaign questioned their opposition about how they think unionists in the North will feel about southern universities and southern groups lobbying them to change their mind on this issue. Moran responded by saying he would be “very surprised” if they did change their minds, and it wouldn’t be something they would look to do: “The main thing that I think we can achieve through this vote is by showing that the south is open to the idea of future unification.”
Despite both sides agreeing more than they disagreed, the hustings probably failed to sway the undecided voter with polls opening tomorrow for two days of voting. The count will be held in House Six on Wednesday evening when polls close.
