On 7 October last year, there was a defining phone call between Boris Johnson and Angel Merkel.

Fiach Kelly: The main threat from a crashout is political and constitutional, not economic.

As Brexit looms, nationalists in Northern Ireland are increasingly looking to Dublin for representation. Now, as Ben Kelly explains, political parties are responding in new, innovative ways.

Following a Cabinet meeting at Derrynane in Co Kerry, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced that the Government will hire over 1,000 new customs and veterinary inspectors before 2021 to administer at our ports and airports as Ireland prepares for a possible hard Brexit.

This is not just a tale of selfless cross-party unity in the face of a national crisis – it is also a strategic choice on the part of the country's two biggest parties.