Bewildered and angry, Northern Ireland unionists fret over place in UK

A tattered Union Jack flag hangs from a lamppost on a terraced street in Belfast, Northern Ireland, December 30, 2020. Picture taken December 30, 2020. REUTERS/Phil Noble

LARNE, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - As Northern Ireland's unionists prepare to celebrate 100 years since the state's creation cemented their place in the United Kingdom, post-Brexit trade barriers are triggering their deepest fears: being cut off from Britain and pushed towards a united Ireland.

The British-run region remains deeply divided along sectarian lines, with Catholic nationalists aspiring to unification with Ireland while Protestant unionists seek to retain the status quo.