WITH the question over the UK's future within the European Union finally answered, consideration into the security implications for the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic will now be given real consideration.
Those businesses involved in tourism and cross border trade are rightly concerned at the financial implications border checkpoints will have on the established links between north and south.
In the run up to the referendum the leave camp were keen to play down the possibility of the return of a hard border.
Those of us old enough to rememberer the British army manning checkpoints are only too aware of the implications of their return.
Then checkpoints were in place as a response to the IRA threat and the use of the border to launch attacks on security forces and as a place to move weapons and smuggled goods.
While the threat from dissident republicans remains severe, it is not on a fraction of the post peace process scale. Modern technology and increased cooperation between the two police forces means that covert rather than overt security is used to contain the dissident threat.
Currently only a change in road signs from miles to kilometres alerts travellers than they have crossed the border.
However, the exit of the UK from the EU raises a completely different set of issues.
Immigration and the free movement of people from member states was one of the leave camps biggest campaigning points.
How the 300 mile Irish border is policed to prevent those member state citizens who legally enter the Republic, from illegally entering Northern Ireland and using it either as a base or a stepping stone to Britain is not clear.
It has been suggested that tougher port and airport checks could suffice but will that appease the hardliners who want to pull up the drawbridge?
A return of the border will also be welcomed by those republicans who feel the constitutional question has been deliberately pushed off the agenda and was barely mentioned during the assembly elections earlier this year.
A reminder that we live in a divided island with one section under British rule does the republican cause no harm, and could be used to strengthen the campaign for unification.
Other member states may also insist on the Republic imposing customs checks to send out a message to other EU states that they will not be allowed to continue as usual if they turn their back on the common market.
Customs checks on heavy goods vehicles will be necessary and how this manifests itself has yet to be revealed and will form part of the negotiations over the next two years.
While we don't know exactly how it will look, we do know that things cannot remain the same and there will be some form of recognisable border put in place. This will undoubtedly have an impact on trade and investment and could as a consequence re-invigorate the campaign for a united Ireland.
