Sinn Féin's electoral growth on both sides of the border has been fuelled by appealing to younger voters who care about more than a united Ireland.
Policies about housing, welfare and human rights have been at the centre of how the party has sold itself.
But the issue of the constitutional divide on the island continues to be used as a rallying cry.
Young republicans still wave and wear the colours of the Irish tricolour, a practice evident at a recent appearance by the Irish language hip-hop group Kneecap in Belfast.
The band has embraced controversy and attracted a lot of attention with its use of images associated with the Troubles.
Cartoon imagery of petrol bombs, balaclavas and barbed wire feature on the band's merchandise, which is selling well at an event to unveil a mural.
But many of their fans insist they want to talk about poverty not paramilitaries.
Socialist issues
"Obviously I care about traditional green and orange issues, but what I care about more is getting our kids fed, getting our people educated, getting our NHS up and running," said Amy Reid, who has a masters degree in peace studies.
"I care more about socialist issues than I care about the border to be brutally honest."
Kneecap also prefer to talk about present problems rather than past conflicts.
They say their music highlights current concerns for people on both sides of Belfast's peace walls.
"What's important is anti-austerity and what's important is the working class," said Móglaí Bap, a member of the hip-hop trio.
"Both sides of the community are suffering because of the Tory government.
"We can talk about images all day long but when we go to either side of the community that's all they care about - is old people, young people, disabled people and that's all that's important to us."
