A STUDY carried out by the University of Ulster suggests a majority of people in the North of Ireland favour the formation of one all-Ireland nation soccer team.
The 368-page study, which is made up of 104 in-depth interviews and a survey of 1,210 people, looks into how sport can contribute to peace-building and social inclusion.
Of the respondents who took park, 54 per cent supported the notion of creating an all-Ireland soccer team, much like the Ireland rugby team.
On closer inspection, around 70 per cent of the Catholic community were in favour, while 39 per cent of Protestants gave their support.
The study comes in the wake of Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland both qualifying for a major tournament together for the first time, with both set to take part in Euro 2016 in France next summer.
Meanwhile, the report also studies public perceptions of GAA and rugby, stating that it is “clear that Gaelic games remain the preserve of Catholics”.
It adds: “The GAA remains largely outside of the experience of most Protestants. Only 1 per cent of Protestants had watched ‘a lot’ of Gaelic football in the last year compared to 31 per cent of Catholics.”
As for rugby, it is strongly considered an inclusive sport in Northern Ireland, with 83 per cent of survey respondents agreeing that Ulster Rugby has taken positive steps to welcome both communities in equal measure.
