The 42FM
The Explainer
14 Oct 2026
‘There will be a united Ireland before there is a united Ireland football team’
00:00

Paul Howard joins Sinéad O’Carroll and Niall Kelly to talk about how sport would work in a united Ireland.


This is a subject Paul has spent a lot of time thinking about during the research and writing for his new novel, A Nation Once Again.


The book centres on a secretive civil service department tasked with preparing for a unified country.


As sports fans know, the union of the Republic and North and IFA and FAI could be among the most tricky diplomatic challenges for a fledgling state.


What would be an acceptable flag, anthem and home ground for such a team? What happens to the collective memories of both fanbases? Would it even matter to the younger generation, who would quickly replace what’s been with their own, new reality.