Many of the staunch supporters of Northern Ireland’s unionist tradition might be very surprised to learn that Edward Carson, the father of modern Irish unionism, was born in Dublin, now the capital city of the Irish Republic.
Carson was born at 4 Harcourt Street, Dublin, on 9 February 1854. His father was an architect of Scottish descent; his mother was descended from one of Cromwell's generals. Educated at Arlington House, Portarlington, Co Laois, and at Trinity College, Dublin, Carson...