All-Ireland football team

An All-Ireland Football Team is a proposed association football team for the whole of Ireland - that is to say, a team where players are selected from across the island of Ireland; both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
History.
The Split.
In 1921 the Football Association of Ireland (which administers football for the Republic of Ireland) split from the Irish Football Association which now administers football in Northern Ireland. Those who went on to found the FAI believed that there was a Northern Ireland bias, they also did not like being told what to do by those in Belfast, which is where the IFA was stationed.
Attempts at reunification.
In the 1920s and early 1930s a number of meetings were held between the FAI and the IFA however neither could come to an agreement. In 1924 both sides were very close to an agreement on a unification. However, on two occasions, as an agreement was about to be signed the FAI made last minute requests. A plan was agreed however at the last minute it was scrapped. As time went on relations between the two bodies improved however an All-Ireland team was put on hold due to the outbreak of The Troubles. Harry Cavan, a former President of the IFA stated that if it was not for The Troubles there would eventually been an agreement between the FAI and the IFA. The FAI also believed that The Troubles were a major obstacle to an agreement.
Support.
Former Republic of Ireland players Johnny Giles and Eamon Dunphy have voiced support for one. Northern Ireland footballers George Best, Derek Dougan and Pat Jennings were also supporters of the idea
Both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have voiced support for an all-Ireland football team. Sinn Féin have also called for an all-Ireland team stating "Irish sports teams are stronger and better when they are all-Ireland teams"
In 2015 an opinion poll conducted by the University of Ulster found that 54% of those asked that were from Northern Ireland would support an All-Ireland team. 70% of Catholics supported the proposal and 39% of Protestants supported the proposal.
In 2017 research done by Amarach Research found that out of those asked (from the Republic of Ireland) 73% would support such a team, 18% would oppose one and 9% did not know