'Winnable border poll is possible'

Ireland’s Future board members Professor Colin Harvey and Andrée Murphy took part in the discussion ‘Ireland’s Future: Border Poll 2030’ as part of Féile Derry 2025.

The event which took place on Friday afternoon was hosted by Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin in the city.

Colin Harvey is Professor of Human Rights Law in the Queen’s University, Belfast School of Law. His work focuses on human rights in a British-Irish context. He also has an interest in the human rights of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants and the relationship to debates around citizenship, membership and belonging.

Opening the discussion, Prof Harvey gave an overview of Ireland’s Future - what it was about and the organisation.

“Ireland’s Future evolved from post-Brexit conversations that were happening here, discussions and concerns about rights issues, worries and anxieties people were having about what Brexit meant for people,” he said.

“It was absolutely clear from those discussions that there needed to be a focus on constitutional change as part of that conversation and Ireland’s Future then evolved out of those discussions and I think that is important,” added Prof Harvey, “because there is something new and unique about the organisation

.@cjhumanrights, Professor of Human Rights Law at @qubschooloflaw & @IrelandsFuture board member speaking at ‘Ireland’s Future: Border Poll 2030’ hosted by @culturlanndoire, as part of @feilederry 2025.

@DerryNow pic.twitter.com/xbdEm7R8In

— Catherine McGinty (@CathMcGin_Tea) August 19, 2025

“We are a civil society organisation and in some ways, there has been nothing quite like us before because we are a campaigning organisation which focuses on achieving constitutional change on the island of Ireland.

“I want to start by commending everyone who has been involved in our conversations so far. Thank you for your participation and engagement. We have really appreciated the support down the years.

“Ireland’s Future has held a large number of public events, meetings, we have produced publications, policy documents and serious, credible and excellent proposals that we recommend to you.

“We have had events in the Waterfront Hall. I think that Waterfront Hall event will eventually come to be seen as a historic moment on this island. [We have also held events in] Ulster Hall, Three Arena, SSE. We have also had public meetings in Sligo, Cork, Galway and Armagh,” said Prof Harvey.

Ireland’s Future has also had what he described as “dedicated policy conversations” on health, economics, labour issues.

“The trade union movement and others have been involved in thinking in detail about all those specific areas,” said Prof Harvey.

He added: “We have produced focused proposals. Our ‘Ireland 2030’ document, which we launched last year, was shaped by dialogue, including with a broad range of political parties.

“For example, we sat in the Oireachtas with 11 political parties on the island of Ireland around the proposals we were putting forward, and that helped shape our ‘Ireland 2030’ document.

“It is fair to say, we have engaged with thousands and thousands and thousands of people online and in person. We are very conscious of being part of a broader, deeper, wider and inclusive civic and political movement on the island of Ireland for constitutional change. We are all part of a bigger picture.

“I think we have helped. Ireland’s Future has put the constitutional change conversation centre stage on the island of Ireland and internationally. It is no coincidence that for every interviewer, journalist, the key question is about the future of this island. It is also no coincidence we are helping to close the gap. In a number of polls it has been clear that the gap between the pro Union and pro Unity sides is closing,” said Prof Harvey.

“Having put this discussion centre stage and made sure this is a mainstream conversation on the island and everywhere, we are moving into the next phase,” he added.

“And, let me put this in headline terms, over the next 10 years, we are moving to a position on the island of Ireland, where a winnable border poll is possible.”

Andrée Murphy is deputy director of Relatives for justice which provides advocacy and therapeutic support for the bereaved and injured of the conflict. With an MA in International Human Rights Law, her particular expertise and research on women by conflict trauma has seen her provide evidence to the UN in Geneva and Congressional hearings in the US. Ms Murphy is also a columnist for Belfast Media Group,

Addressing the audience Ms Murphy said while Ireland’s Future was formed in the context of Brexit, it was also formed in the context of the “post Brexit exposing of a particularly pernicious Westminster rule”.

Andrée Murphy, deputy director of @RelsForJustice, columnist for Belfast Media Group (@ATownNews) & @IrelandsFuture board member speaking at ‘Ireland’s Future: Border Poll 2030’ hosted by @culturlanndoire, as part of @feilederry.

@DerryNow pic.twitter.com/rFm44hhlpj

— Catherine McGinty (@CathMcGin_Tea) August 20, 2025

“Initially we were called ‘civic nationalism’ and over a period of time how that has changed is indicative of how the conversation about constitutional change has changed,” she said.

“Some of the stuff we are most proud of is the big, publicity driven events; those documents that are of enormous substance and have had contributions from right across the board - academic, political and civic spaces; but in particular, I am proud of the conversations we have that make all of that possible.

“When we started, there was no doubt that there was even an argument about the legitimacy of even having this conversation. ‘Is it going to make trouble to talk about constitutional change?’ The people involved in it were more than attacked for creating these spaces.

Broader discussion: @IrelandsFuture board members @cjhumanrights & Andrée Murphy speaking at 'Ireland's Future: Border Poll 2030' hosted by @culturlanndoire, as part of @feilederry 2025.

@DerryNow pic.twitter.com/gr3azvDd9L

— Catherine McGinty (@CathMcGin_Tea) August 20, 2025

“And over time, the people who maybe were a bit worried about it, they are now absolutely at the heart and centre of discussing how we do this conversation and what the outcome of this conversation is going to be,” said Ms Murphy, who highlighted the involvement of the National Women’s Council of Ireland and conversations which took place in the political sphere - in the Oireachtas Good Friday Agreement Implementation Committee.

“It went into the constitutional conversation last year and produced an incredibly important document which looks at and encourages all of the departments to work on a cross jurisdictional planning process for a border poll that is coming.”