A united Ireland might have a border in it. That appears to be Sinn Féin’s position as outlined by First Minister Michelle O’Neill in an interview with this paper last week.

She indicated she was “open” to the prospect of retaining Stormont in a united Ireland, among other possibilities, which would presumably mean that the Assembly, or something similar, could have legal, administrative and/or policy-making powers over the six counties.

So the governance of the north would differ in some respects from that in the rest of Ireland.

Marking the geographical extent of those powers would require a border, making Sinn Féin’s concept of a united Ireland remarkably elastic.

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There are two possible responses to the First Minister’s revelation.

The first is that it offers a wonderful temptation for satire.

Secondly, it requires an analysis of where the party now stands, not only for its ambivalence on what a united Ireland means, but for its poor performance in last week’s by-elections in Dublin and Galway.

The satirical reaction would be to welcome the First Minister’s openness to a new border on the basis that this would be a genuine Irish-made version and not that........

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