N.I. was moving towards a more normal, integrated

future, but Brexit is going to put a stop to that real quick. They'll be backsliding into the Troubles before the year is out, I'm afraid. I'm glad they are getting "The Open" in now. It won't be back for another 50 years at this rate.

In my time in Europe I've known a few of the Northern Irish ... it's an interesting subculture. One of them grew up in Belfast right in the thick of the Troubles in the 80s. He tells a story of the police coming to his house and telling his Catholic family to pack up and move in the next 3 hours. Six hours later, his house had been burned to the ground.

It's remarkable how little bitterness he retains from that time; nonetheless, he is deeply concerned that the Troubles will flare again once Brexit goes through.