You really, I mean really, do have to read the posts, my friends did not say they thought they would be better off with Brexit, I never said they said they would be better off with Brexit. It told you previously, in the earlier post, that, over a period of years (pre-dating Brexit by at least 25 years) their main preoccupation has seemed to me to have been that the Island of Ireland should be left to sort its own problems out! That's it, finite, end off, that's all folks!
At least two of my friends, believe that if President De Valera had accepted Churchill's (admittedly it was only a reputed) offer in 1940's there would now be either a full Irish state, or an Irish Confederation of two independent states North and South that would govern Ireland and represent both traditions. Maybe the border problems associated with Brexit will allow, or even force, whatever, a re-visit to the thinking that was behind this idea in 1940?
Brexit is already and will become a catalyst for change in the UK as well as in the EU. An idea whose time has come! Ireland (NI) and Scotland had a predominant remain vote, whereas England and Wales voted by a majority to leave, the overall vote as we know 52:48 in favour of leaving. These votes rightly or wrongly represents the Will of the People and that has to be respected, by Governments across the UK, (or as Paul the Wolf says, risk facing the angry mob) In respecting those votes it would seem that at some point the UK will change its internal structures, how or in what way has still to be decided, but first comes Brexit!