There will never be peace in Northern Ireland.” It was a refrain uttered often as I was growing up in the 1980s when the IRA and loyalist paramilitaries were active. Two communities as divided as in any war-torn territory around the globe.

I never thought in my wildest dreams that there would actually be a ceasefire followed by an all-inclusive power-sharing devolved parliament. But like most, I was proved wrong. So for the best part of two decades, peace, in large, has held as the ballot box replaced the Armalite.

But while we may not be waking up to news of another massacre across the border, the undercurrent of a bitter division remains. The power-sharing executive has been nothing more than a sticking plaster over the reality of the situation, which is that there are two tribes where, to borrow a fitting phrase, never the twain shall meet.

Whether you call it Northern Ireland, the North or the six counties depends on your political persuasion or who you are talking to. It says all you need to know about the profound distrust and division which prevail where some politicians share power while holding their nose. For example, it is fair to state that some unionists despise the GAA and the Irish language. There are like-for-like examples of disdain of Protestant culture from nationalists; the objections to Orange Order marches come to mind. All the while, the flags and murals dotted around continue to remind visitors whether they are in Catholic or Protestant territory.

It would be nice to think that there is a growing middle ground of people who don’t give a toss about flags or anthems. There probably is. But this Rory McIlroyism will not be represented in the results of the upcoming Assembly election where, instead of the likes of the more moderate parties, it will be Sinn Féin that will receive the most nationalist votes while the DUP will be the biggest unionist party once again.

In the US, a Democrat might switch to the Republicans the odd time and vice versa. But never in Northern Ireland.

You see, we have two communities in the North, Northern Ireland, the six counties or whatever you call it, that share a very distinctive accent but little else after that. A place where your surname predetermines, in the main, what your politics will be, where you will live, what school you will attend, which sports you will play or which of the two Glasgow football teams you’ll support.

Post-Brexit, Sinn Féin has ramped up the campaign for a united Ireland, calling for a border poll. But just throw an ear on the inevitably shouty and tedious pre-election whataboutery TV debates over the next four weeks and you will see how the unionist community are about as convinced of that now as they were when the IRA were in fifth gear 30 years ago. CL

Here’s why Enda should go to the White House

There is mounting pressure on Enda Kenny not to go to the White House for St Patrick’s Day. That is understandable considering how unpopular the new incumbent of the Oval Office is to most. But you could also argue that never has it been more important that an Irish Taoiseach accepts that invitation. We depend a lot on US companies employing tens of thousands of people here that a snub on principle is too big a gamble to take in the current climate. And what about making a direct representation on behalf of the undocumented Irish? No, cutting our nose to spite our face is not the way to go.