Rural Ireland Thinks: Almost 60% want to see a united Ireland

It comes after president Donald Trump (left) renewed debate around the future of the island by raising the issue in meetings with both President Catherine Connolly (right) and Taoiseach Michéal Martin.

Three out of five people living in rural Ireland now want to see a united Ireland.

The latest Irish Examiner/Ipsos B&A Rural Ireland Thinks survey has also shown that the number of rural dwellers who "strongly agree" that there should be unity on the island has increased from 34% in 2024, to 38% in the latest poll.

While the number of people who agree with a united Ireland now stands at 59%, almost one in 10 (9%) are still strongly against the idea.

A further 17% remain neutral on the matter, stating that they neither agree or disagree.

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It comes after President Donald Trump renewed debate around the future of the island, north and south, claiming that he would "love" to see a united Ireland during his visit to Dublin on Saturday.

He raised the issue of a "merger" in meetings with both President Catherine Connolly and Taoiseach Michéal Martin.

While the remarks sparked a backlash from some, including the DUP, Mr Trump doubled down on the comments while attending the Irish Open golf tournament in Clare on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the poll also shows that majority of farmers and people living in rural areas remain concerned about the rise of the far right (56%) although this has decreased by seven percentage points from 2024 levels.

• This report was funded by the News Reporting Scheme