Unionist reaction to the published extracts of Dr Conor Cruise O'Brien's book in which he suggests unionists might one day decide to join a united Ireland was one of surprise. Mr Peter Weir, a UUP Assembly member for North Down, said: "I find Dr O'Brien's conclusions astonishing. I don't believe a united Ireland to be inevitable at all. The whole analysis smacks of defeatism, as it presupposes particular things that will go on into the future. "There has been a concession mentality with regard to Sinn Fein. However, if unionists did take the attitude that everything was going to get worse we might as well give up, but I don't accept that."
Mr William Thompson, one of the dissident Ulster Unionist MPs who opposed the Belfast Agreement, questioned whether the Republic would ever want Northern Ireland.
"What logic led to this conclusion I don't know. From a unionist point of view, Conor Cruise O'Brien is usually a very logical and good writer. His conclusion seems rather strange."
Nationalists generally welcomed Dr O'Brien's remarks.
"Conor Cruise O'Brien seems to have come full circle," said Mr Joe Byrne, SDLP Assembly member for West Tyrone.
"One of the greater things to have happened politically in the past three or four years is that representatives of unionist parties have been meeting with Irish Government representatives and the whole multi-party process has led to greater understanding between all parties on this island. This greater contact means more and more unionists are coming to the conclusion that the Republic is not a threat."
The West Belfast Sinn Fein Assembly member, Mr Alex Maskey, agreed with Dr O'Brien's conclusion, indicating that unionists should seek inclusion in an united Ireland. But he disagreed that their reason for doing so would be British concessions to his party.