Something potentially very interesting happened on Monday night, a live 90-minute conversation on Irish national television about what a future United Ireland might look like. It was broadly received as inclusive, thoughtful and timely. So has the starting pistol now been fired? Is the debate about a border pool and the real possibility

of Irish unity now fully

up and running. Is it Tom?

It's on the back burner and there's a reasonable

amount of gas around but it's certainly on the back burner

here politically. Sheneid? It's a very

simple starting point and I think Monday's show

represented where we are in that line.

Michael.

I think the debate on a border pole is very much on the agenda, but realistically we're nowhere, nowhere near a United Ireland, or the prospect of one.

That's very interesting to hear those three opening perspectives.

So on this week's red lines,

we're discussing the debate about Irish unity that's now taking place to a greater or lesser

extent, depending on your point of view, in the Republic. And my guests are well placed to comment

on the issue. Tom McGurk is a Dublin-based broadcaster and journalist, originally from

County Tyrone. Shenado Carroll is the news editor of the journal.I.E.

And Michael O'Regan is a former Irish Times parliamentary correspondent.

Welcome to all of you.

It's very nice to have you on the programme.

Tom, let's just focus on that RTE program, Clare Byrne Live on Monday night for a moment or two more.

Do you think the decision to stage that debate was a response to a conversation that's

already taking place, albeit in embryonic form, or was it an effort to lead a conversation

...