A united Ireland is increasingly likely due to unionism's failure to grasp the full implications of Brexit and to reach out to Catholics, a former columnist with The Irish News has claimed.
Former chief probation officer Breidge Gadd says she always wanted her three adult children to return to Northern Ireland to live but now hopes they don't.
She argues that the result of last year's EU referendum was "disastrous for Northern Ireland".
Ms Gadd believes that before the Brexit vote there was a "sense of acceptance" that the region was part of the UK.
She acknowledges that demographic changes meant the likelihood of a Catholic majority in the coming years but points to various surveys which show a significant number of Catholics are content with the north's constitutional position.
But the outcome of the EU referendum has changed people's outlook, she says.
"As the Conservative government pulls away from and out of Europe and inevitably develops ‘ourselves alone mentality’ many nationalists are both dismayed and bereft," Ms Gadd writes on eamonnmallie.com.
"They grieve for that comfort position so optimistically developed a few short years ago, of being able to regard themselves as Irish, and European, while still living in the UK."
She says Catholics previously contented were shocked to hear unionist politicians "crow with delight" that Brexit meant greater links with Britain and fewer with the Republic.
Ms Gadd argues that in order to avoid increased support for Irish unity, unionists need to "mount a charm offensive to woo those of a mildly nationalist persuasion" as in a future border poll "these particular votes will be critical".
In the online article, the former chief probation officer claims no unionist has attempted to convince Catholics of the merits of maintaining the union.
She notes that Peter Robinson "dipped his toe into this contentious water" but that his successor Arlene Foster "appears to stoke the tremors of fear".
"It seems to be imperative that the broad unionist family look at all the potential future scenarios honestly and courageously and that they devise intelligent political strategies which might best protect their unionist desires," she says.
Asking rhetorically, whether unionism will meet this challenge, she concludes: "I fear the answer is no".
