National Poll on Irish Unity
IN A NATIONAL opinion survey commmissioned by Magill and conducted by MRBI Ltd. (Market Research Bureau of Ireland Ltd.) on the attitudes to Irish unity, the recognition of a power-sharing arrangement in the North and the Catholic Church's position on a number of key related issues the following were the main findings:
63% in favour of a united Ireland.
33% say aim for unity whatever the probems.
64% opposed to dropping claims to a 32 counties republic, even if there is a power-sharing arrangement in the North.
65% think the Catholic Church should change its attitude on integrated education.
60% think the Catholic Church should change its attitude on mixed marriage.
- 63% in favour of unity with 39% very much in favour, 24% somewhat in favour, 15% opposed and 22% expressing no opinion.
-33% stated that we should aim for unity whatever the problems while 32% said we should aim for unity if the problems were not too great.
-23% were in favour of recognising a power-sharing agreement in the North and within the United Kingdom context, while 47% said we should not fully· recognise the arrangement but work with it and a further 17% were opposed to any recognition.
- 65% believed that in the light of the Northern situation the Catholic Church should change its attitude on integrated education, 47% thought it should change its attitude on the legalisationof contraaception as compared with 36% who thought it should not, while there was an even division of opinion on whether it should change its attitude on divorce.
The survey was commissioned exclusively by Magill publications Ltd. and was conducted by MRBI Ltd. on a national basis on September 22 and 23, 1977. The statistical sample of 623 is represenntative of the adult population of the Republic aged 18 and upwards (1.89 million) in terms of area, community, sex, age, marital status and class. Interrlocking controls, using in-home interrviews, based on sixty randomly drawn sampling points, were applied.
The poll reveals an overwhelming majority in favour of the unity of Ireland (63%) with a surprising depth of commmitment to the ideal as evidenced by the 33% who think we should aim for unity whatever the problems.
The support for unity appears even more impressive when the respondents with no opinion are excluded - 81% of those expressing an opinion on unity were in favour.
Perhaps the greatest significance of the poll is the number of respondents who were opposed to dropping the
claims to the 32 counties in the event of there being a power-sharing arrangement in the North within the United Kingdom context.
The Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, and coalition politicians when in power, repeatedly indicated that if a pow€rrsharing arrangement were worked out in the North they would favour dropping Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution. The poll suggests that a referendum on this subject would be defeated, but opinions might change somewhat with the reality of a power-sharing administtration in the North and with leading politicians advocating constitutional'" change.
However the 17% against any recoggnition of a power-sharing arrangement and in favour of pursuing claims to a 32 county republic represent a very sizeable hardline element.
The poll also reveals a very considerrable majority in favour of the Catholic Church changing its attitude on a number of key issues - notably mixed marriages and integrated education - in the light of the Northern situation.
However it appears from these figures that there would still be considerable opposition to any attempt to change the constitutional prohibition on divorce.
An examination of the detail of the survey shows that rural Ireland is generrally more favourable to unity. Men were very much more in favour of unity than women, among whom there was a very high number with no opinion - 28% on the general question of Irish unity.
The older age groups were more in favour of unity, though significantly, perhaps, 38% of those in the 18 - 24 age-group thought we should pursue unity whatever the problems, as commpared with 33% of the whole sample.
Predictably, the higher socio/ ecoonomic groups were less in favour of unity than the working and small farmer classes. There was generally more sup- . port in rural areas for unity than in urban areas, with Leinster (minus Dublin) being especially committed. 46% in this area thought we should pursue unity whattever the problems.
Opinions on the Catholic Church changing its attitudes on a number of issues in the light of the Northern situuation showed the categories of rural areas, the older age groups, women and the lower socio/economic groups were more conservative than the average of the sample.
The sample size was the same as that used in the pre-election surveys which proved highly accurate.
Vincent Browne
TABLE ONE
What are your personal feelings on a United Ireland now, - that is the unification of the Republic of Ireland and Northern
Ireland?
Very much Somewhat Not really Very much No in favour in favour in favour against opinion
623 ;% % 0
TOTAL % % % -0
100% 39 24 12 3 22
AREA Z
County Dublin 190 37 26 15 3 19 0
Rest of Leinster 127 42 22 6 5 25
Munster 183 42 22 14 2 20 Z
Connacht/Ulster 123 33 25 11 1 30
COMMUNITY 0
Urban 325 38 23 14 4 21
Rural 298 40 25 10 2 23
SEX
Male 302 47 24 11 3 15
Female 321 31 24 14 3 28
AGE
18 - 24 118 34 20 15 2 29
25-34 119 33 29 12 2 24
35 - 54 197 39 28 14 3 16
55+ 189 46 19 9 4 22
S/E CLASS
ABC1 175 35 27 17 2 19
C2DE 268 41 21 10 4 24
F1/F2 180 40 24 11 2 23
Sample: 623 adults aged 18 upwards: Republic of Ireland.
TABLE TWO
Achieving the unity of Ireland might increase our social, economic and political problems, do you feel we a) should aim for Unity, whatever the problems b) should aim for Unity, if the problems are not too great c) should aim for Unity, if there are no problems d) should not aim for Unity e) no opinion really?
Should aim Should aim
for Unity for Unity
irrespective if problems
of problems not too great
Should aim for unity only if no problems
Should not aim for Unity
No opinion
TOTAL 623 % % % % %
100% 33 32 18 8 &
AREA
';ounty Dublin 190 30 34 24 10 2
Rest of Leinster 127 46 20 18 6 10
Munster 183 36 34 15 7 B
Connacht/Ulster 123 23 39 22 7 9
COMMUNITY
Urban 325 31 32 18 11 8
Rural 298 35 32 18 5 10
SEX
Male 302 39 29 18 6 8
Female 321 28 35 18 9 10
AGE
18 -- 24 118 38 23 18 9 12
25···34 119 33 29 23 10 5
35···54 197 31 40 15 6 8
55+ 189 34 30 18 8 10
S/E CLASS
ABC1 175 32 35 16 8 9
C2DE 268 32 29 21 10 8
F1/F2 180 36 34 15 4 11
Sample: 623 adults aged 18 upwards: Republic of Ireland.
TABLE THREE
If the political parties in the North reached an, agreement on Power-Sharing within the UK, do you feel the Irish Government should then recognise it fully, which would mean dropping our claims to a 32 County Ireland?
Recognise it fully, and Recognise it somewhat, work Do not recognise it, No
drop all claims with it, and still claim 32 counties continue all claims opinion
TOTAL 623 % % % %
100% 23 47 17 13
AREA
County Dublin 190 23 58 12 7
Rest of Leinster 127 29 34 18 19
Munster 183 20 47 21 12
Connacht/Ulster 123 18 44 18 20
COMMUNITY
Urban 325 23 50 17 10
Rural 298 23 44 17 16
SEX
Male 302 23 47 20 10
Female 321 23 47 14 16
AGE
18 - 24 118 20 41 24 15
25 - 34 119 32 47 13 8
35 - 54 197 21 55 12 12 "
55+ 189 20 43 20 17
S/E CLASS
ABC1 175 22 54 13 11
C2DE 268 22 43 21 14
F1/F2 180 24 45 16 15
Sample: 623. adults aged 16 upwards: Republic of Ireland.
TABLE FOUR
Bearing in mind the Northern situation do you think the Catholic Church should change its attitude on mixed marriages, integrated education, the legalisation of contraception and the legalisation of divorce?
MIXED INTEGRATED LEGALlSATION OF LEGALlSATioN OF
MARRIAGES EDUCATION CONTRACEPTION DIVORCE
Should Should Should Should Should Should Should Should
change not change not change not change not
TOTAL 623 % % % % % % % %
100% 60 27 65 20 47 36 43 42
AREAS
County Dublin 190 73 22 72 20 60 36 55 39
Rest of Leinster 127 53 23 57 17 40 30 40 35
Munster 183 56 28 71 17 47 38 42 42
Connacht/Ulster 123 53 37 55 26 37 39 28 55
COMMUNITY
Urban 325 64 23 68 18 53 34 50 36
Rural 298 55 31 62 22 41 38 35 49
SEX
Male 302 61 27 67 19 51 31 47 38
Female 321 59 27 63 21 44 41 39 46
AGE
18- 24 118 58 27 65 24 58 29 48 38
25 - 34 119 79 14 76 16 71 20 61 31
35 - 54 197 63 25 61 21 46 38 43 44
55+ 189 47 36 64 18 28 48 29 48
S/E CLASS
ABC1 175 69 22 70 20 54 35 51 38
C2DE 268 60 25 68 16 50 33 44 39
F1/F2 180 51 35 57 26 37 41 33 49
Sample: 623 adults aged 18 upwards: Republic of Ireland.
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