The obvious solution always was and always will be a customs border over sea from Ireland/UK to mainland Europe, it's the best way to avoid any 'troubles', the best way to continue everything as smoothly as possible, it can be adopted more easily than any of the other options and would have the least impact to trade, since the vast majority of Irish trade with mainland EU goes via the UK anyway. It is a great shame that the Irish chose to go down the irrationally obstructive path and a further shame that the media has lapped it up so well.

You realise this wasliterally Ireland/the EUs proposal and that it's the UK government that suggested the UK wide backstop?