Brexit's Irish Border Problem is Getting Worse

An exploration of Brexit's impact on the Northern Ireland/Republican of Ireland Border, with a detour into the Irish Civil War, the Troubles, and the 2016 Brexit Referendum discourse. What does the Northern Ireland Protocol mean for the Constitutional structure of the UK, and will a NI Bill passing without EU consent add fuel to the fire?

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2. Brexit: What is the Northern Ireland Protocol? BBC June 2022 *
3. Northern Ireland Protocol: What did Boris Johnson say? *
4. NI: Did anyone warn about Brexit checks? Chris Morris BBC
5. Government Report: European Union Bill Impact Assessment
6. UK Treasury: NI Protocol: Unfettered access to the UKIM
7. BBC EU takes new legal action against UK over post-Brexit... June 2022
8. Northern Ireland: Could the EU and UK face a trade war? BBC May 2022
9. IRISH FREE STATE CONSTITUTION Deb 11 May 1933 vol 87 cc854-71
10. “Boris Johnson promises to release 'hard' Northern...” Sky News 2018
11. “Boris Johnson insists there will be no border checks post…” Sky 2019
13. Fact Sheet on the Conflict in and about Northern Ireland.
14. BBC May 22. How does Northern Ireland's power-sharing...work?
15. Stormont: Sinn Féin says there can be no return to direct rule. BBC.

00:00 Intro
1:59 The Free Irish State and Irish Civil War
4:39 Northern Ireland and the Troubles
8:55 Early Brexit Implications for Island of Ireland
13:17 Current Brexit Problems and the NI Protocol
16:35 Conclusion

Stock video and imagery provided by Getty Images.

[williamcfox]

It looks like the UK & EU will split the difference and go with the green/red lane system. This would give N. Ireland unique access to both the UK internal market and the EU Single Market.

[padraigpearse]

A lot of people dont realise how raw the troubles still are. My uncle was a first aider on Bloody Sunday and my da was the head altar boy at the funeral. My grandfather was picked up in an army truck, beaten up and dumped out while it was moving. All 3 are still alive and talk about it to this day. Thankfully I was born at the tail end of the Troubles but even for my generation, there's still remnants of the conflict that are part of our daily lives such as bomb scares (there have been at least two in Derry this week alone). I live on the border on the Derry side and our nearest shop, nearest chapel and nearest petrol station are ALL over the border. When brexit was happening, everyone in my local community was shitting themselves and we still kind of are.

[williamcfox]

I did not say Éamon de Valera and Dáil correctly. Please know that mispronunciations are not a product of willful ignorance or disrespect, but of simple panic when saying things to the camera. My passion for the Island of Ireland is sincere, and I make every effort to get things correct. – If there are other errors in here, be it pronunciation or information, please do reach out. I treasure good-faith criticism.

[AbbeyRoadkill]

A reunited Ireland would be a welcome byproduct of the Brexit insanity.

[Soldknight]

I was brought up unionist, only ever held a British passport. Since Brexit though, I've claimed my Irish passport and have since moved closer to the united Ireland camp. Brexit has shown how un-united and unfair the union can be when Scotland and NI were forced out of the EU against their will. Callous disregard by the Brexiteers as you mentioned when bringing about the exit.

[bikeman]

This is a fair historical summary. Good job on that. I'd suggest you use, "UK's land border with the EU issue". To call it an Irish border issue, implies the Irish have something to do with the problem, which they don't, as this problem was created by the UK all on its own.

[ahamill]

I am naturally a bit sceptical about someone from outside of Northern Ireland being able to reflect the nuances and details of what goes on here. But this is as fair, accurate and clear depiction of the nature of the issues on the island of Ireland post Brexit as any I've seen. Well done!

[tigerspuds]

There is no Irish border. However, there is a British border in Ireland.

[JuraVuramee]

As someone who grew up in Derry, this is a very informative video, with great production value. Just stumbled upon this video in my recommendations and will be watching more of you.

[gingerandbroke]

“Number one, it’s not the Irish border, it’s the British border in Ireland. The Irish border is the beach"

Andrew Maxwell

[Mortebianca]

Just give the damn North to Ireland.
Catholics surpassed Protestants anyway. And religion should not have dictated "who owns what".

It's Ireland. It's colonization.

[michaeldavid]

Excellent video! Just one point: the NI protocol did not disrupt the NI economy, quite the opposite. While the rest of the UK is in quasi recession, NI thrives as it retains unfettered access to the world’s largest market.

[OlanKenny]

It's worth noting that after Bloody Sunday, the British Army placed weapons on the corpses to justify their massacre.

[Theolife]

If London has a choice between slightly inconveniencing England or devastating Scotland, Wales, and N. Ireland, they will unilaterally elect the latter. The disullionment of the UK is ending the pretence of an equal union.

[scottloughton]

Excellent piece. I'm Aussie living in London and astounded how little UKers know of their own history particularly relating to Ireland. They believe utter imperialistic Nationalist nonsense.

[gerryrussell]

It's not the Irish border. It's the British border in Ireland. Our border is the coastline.

[atinofspam]

The core of the problem, is that regardless of what side you take, or what solution you choose, there will always remain a large amount of people left unhappy and feeling neglected.

[thebigpicture-elpanorama]

Great Britain is an island, Northern Ireland is not part of Great Britain. It is a physical impossibility. Regrettably though Northern Ireland is part of the UK. Furthermore The Republic of Ireland is a sovereign independent state, and it is not part of the British Isles.

[ilidioalves]

there is another factor that you didn't mentioned and that plays a huge role in this. For the first time ever since the partition Catholics are no longer the minority in NI and the Sinn Fein was the leading party in the last election of 2022. So, there is a socio-political shift in recent years and now the Catholic/Republican camp can no longer be shoved aside, they now have a bigger say in the course and future of NI.
I personally see the Unification of Ireland as inevitability in the long term, I just hope it happens without violence.

[liamcronin]

Londonderry??? Please don't call it that. Its just Derry. Thanks.