The Royal Irish Academy

In this episode of ‘My Identity’ Professor Colin Graham (Maynooth) is in conversation with
Queen’s University Belfast students James Tourish and Rea Thien.

Following the publication of For and Against a United Ireland by Fintan O’Toole and Sam
McBride, ARINS held two sold out events in collaboration with the Lyric Theatre, Belfast. The
first of these was an interactive debate for school pupils and university students. Colin met
with James and Rea immediately after the event, recording this conversation on site at the
Lyric to capture their reactions and discuss their thoughts about the event and the book.
James is in his second year studying Politics and International Relations at QUB, he identifies
as coming from an Irish Nationalist background having grown up in Derry. Rea recently
graduated from Law and Politics at QUB and grew up in Southern California.

The My Identity series is hosted by Professor Colin Graham, Maynooth. In this series, Colin is
in conversation with a range of people whose ideas, work and life experiences shed light on
the topic of identity on the Island of Ireland. My Identity is part of the ARINS project.

Colin Graham is Professor English and formerly Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Maynooth University. His books include Northern Ireland: Thirty Years of Photography, Deconstructing Ireland and Ideologies of Epic. He was editor of The Irish Review from 2004 to 2020. During the Brexit negotiations he created the Twitter account @borderirish(opens in a new tab) and wrote the book I am the Border, so I am, published by HarperCollins.

ARINS: Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South brings together experts to provide evidence-based research and analysis on the most significant questions of policy and public debate facing the island of Ireland, north and south. The project publishes, facilitates and disseminates research on the challenges and opportunities presented to the island in a post-Brexit context, with the intention of contributing to an informed public discourse. More information can be found at WWW.ARINSPROJECT.COM(opens in a new tab)

ARINS is a joint project of The Royal Irish Academy, an all-island body, and the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies at Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs.

My Identity is hosted by Professor Colin Graham.

Podcast management and production by Dr Susie Deedigan (University of Notre Dame). With thanks to Conor Patterson and Morgan Blain-Crehan, The Spinner’s Mill, Belfast.

In this episode of ‘My Identity’ Professor Colin Graham (Maynooth) is in conversation with Drew Harris.

Jeremy Andrew Harris, OBE, QPM is a retired senior police officer who was Commissioner of An Garda Síochána from September 2018 to September 2025.

He previously served as Deputy Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) from 2014 to 2018. The My Identity series is hosted by Professor Colin Graham, Maynooth. In this series, Colin is in conversation with a range of people whose ideas, work and life experiences shed light on the topic of identity on the Island of Ireland. My Identity is part of the ARINS project.

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Colin Graham is Professor English and formerly Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Maynooth University. His books include Northern Ireland: Thirty Years of Photography, Deconstructing Ireland and Ideologies of Epic. He was editor of The Irish Review from 2004 to 2020. During the Brexit negotiations he created the Twitter account @borderirish and wrote the book I am the Border, so I am, published by HarperCollins.

ARINS: Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South brings together experts to provide evidence-based research and analysis on the most significant questions of policy and public debate facing the island of Ireland, north and south. The project publishes, facilitates and disseminates research on the challenges and opportunities presented to the island in a post-Brexit context, with the intention of contributing to an informed public discourse. More information can be found at WWW.ARINSPROJECT.COM

ARINS is a joint project of The Royal Irish Academy, an all-island body, and the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies at Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs.

My Identity is hosted by Professor Colin Graham.

Podcast management and production by Dr Susie Deedigan (University of Notre Dame). With thanks to Conor Patterson and Morgan Blain-Crehan, The Spinner’s Mill, Belfast.

ARINS Podcast 48: Beyond Identity and Ideology: how deliberation can reframe constitutional debate

In this month’s ARINS podcast, host Rory Montgomery discusses the Irish Studies in International Affairs article, Beyond Identity and Ideology: how deliberation can reframe constitutional debate with its authors Dr Shelley Deane (DCU), Professor Joanne McEvoy (Aberdeen) and Professor Jennifer Todd (UCD).

The article discusses a series of grassroots cross-border, cross-community deliberative cafes conducted by the researchers to discuss potential future constitutional change. The broader project considers how deliberation and engaging with ordinary people - in this case, women - an reframe the constitutional agenda.

Read the summary report: https://www.ria.ie/assets/uploads/2025/11/30.10.30-ARINS-Conference-A4-flier.pdf

A forthcoming article in Irish Studies in International Affairs will be available open access, as are all ARINS publications, which can be read on our website: https://www.ria.ie/research-programmes/arins/#latest-arins-articles

This podcast series provides evidence-based research and analysis on the most significant questions of policy and public debate facing the island of Ireland, north and south.

Host Rory Montgomery, MRIA, talks to authors of articles on topics such as cross border health co-operation; the need to regulate social media in referendums, education, cultural affairs and constitutional questions and the imperative for good data and the need to carry out impartial research.

ARINS: Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South brings together experts to provide evidence-based research and analysis on the most significant questions of policy and public debate facing the island of Ireland, north and south. The project publishes, facilitates and disseminates research on the challenges and opportunities presented to the island in a post-Brexit context, with the intention of contributing to an informed public discourse. More information can be found at www.arinsproject.com

ARINS is a joint project of The Royal Irish Academy, an all-island body, and the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies at Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs.

In this episode of ‘My Identity’ Professor Colin Graham (Maynooth) is in conversation with Jess Majekodunmi.

Jess Majekodunmi is Managing Director of the Human Sciences Studio at Accenture, a Member of the Board of Directors at the Irish Museum of Modern Art and a champion of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

The My Identity series is hosted by Professor Colin Graham, Maynooth. In this series, Colin is in conversation with a range of people whose ideas, work and life experiences shed light on the topic of identity on the Island of Ireland. My Identity is part of the ARINS project.

Colin Graham is Professor English and formerly Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Maynooth University. His books include Northern Ireland: Thirty Years of Photography, Deconstructing Ireland and Ideologies of Epic. He was editor of The Irish Review from 2004 to 2020. During the Brexit negotiations he created the Twitter account @borderirish and wrote the book I am the Border, so I am, published by HarperCollins.

ARINS: Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South brings together experts to provide evidence-based research and analysis on the most significant questions of policy and public debate facing the island of Ireland, north and south. The project publishes, facilitates and disseminates research on the challenges and opportunities presented to the island in a post-Brexit context, with the intention of contributing to an informed public discourse. More information can be found at www.arinsproject.com

ARINS is a joint project of The Royal Irish Academy, an all-island body, and the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies at Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs.

My Identity is hosted by Professor Colin Graham.

Podcast management and production by Dr Susie Deedigan (University of Notre Dame).

In this month’s ARINS podcast, host Rory Montgomery chat to Fintan O’Toole and Sam McBride about their recent ARINS publication: For and Against a United Ireland.

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 for themselves 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. With cartoons by Fergus Boylan.

The book has been shortlisted for An Post Book Award 2025 - BEST IRISH-PUBLISHED BOOK OF THE YEAR. See shortlist

Book tickets to see the authors debate the strongest arguments for and against a united Ireland in The Lyric Theatre, Belfast and The National Concert Hall, Dublin in November 2025!
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This is episode 47 of a podcast series that provides evidence-based research and analysis on the most significant questions of policy and public debate facing the island of Ireland, north and south.

Host Rory Montgomery, MRIA, talks to authors of articles on topics such as cross border health co-operation; the need to regulate social media in referendums, education, cultural affairs and constitutional questions and the imperative for good data and the need to carry out impartial research.

ARINS: Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South brings together experts to provide evidence-based research and analysis on the most significant questions of policy and public debate facing the island of Ireland, north and south. The project publishes, facilitates and disseminates research on the challenges and opportunities presented to the island in a post-Brexit context, with the intention of contributing to an informed public discourse. More information can be found at www.arinsproject.com

ARINS is a joint project of The Royal Irish Academy, an all-island body, and the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies at Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs.