The Economist wonders: Why is Northern Ireland part of the United Kingdom?

How it’s New York: New York is home to Irish immigrants from the Republic and from the North, who care about this question.
How it’s Irish: This article asks a question of Irish identity.
Why is Northern Ireland part of the United Kingdom? (via The Economist)

IT IS almost a year since riots hit the streets of Belfast last December. They were caused by a motion to limit the number of days Britain’s Union Jack flag flew on Belfast City Hall. Severe rioting lasted for two months and seemed to centre on the…