There is a syndrome, perhaps best described as political Schizophrenia, whereby Unionists, and even hard line unionists, see no contradiction between lambasting nationalists and the Republic at every opportunity, and yet send their kids to Trinity College Dublin, go to rugby matches in Dublin, and generally spend quite a lot of their business and leisure time "down south".

Most are uncomfortably aware that the south is thriving economically while the North is stagnating, and that their favourite stereotyping of the south as a priest ridden papal fiefdom is increasingly out of date. But never let the facts get in the way of a good slogan or a bit of "other bashing". Brexiteer bashing of the EU is very tame by comparison.

Index of Frank's Diaries