For and Against a United Ireland Paperback – February 15, 2026

In For and Against a United Ireland, renowned journalists Fintan O’Toole and Sam McBride provide an accessible and measured approach to the polarized debate about Irish unification.The prospect of Irish unification is now stronger than at any point since partition in 1921. Voters on both sides of the Irish border may soon have to confront what the answer to a referendum question would mean―for themselves, for their neighbours, and for their society.Journalists Fintan O'Toole and Sam McBride examine the strongest arguments for and against a united Ireland. What do the words "united Ireland" even mean? Would it be better for Northern Ireland? Would it improve lives in the Republic of Ireland? And could it be brought about without bloodshed?O’Toole and McBride each argue the case for and against unity, questioning received wisdom and bringing fresh thinking to one of Ireland’s most intractable questions.For and Against a United Ireland was commissioned by the ARINS Project (Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South), a joint initiative of the University of Notre Dame's Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies and the Royal Irish Academy. Read more