Malcolm Douglas clarifies hundreds of years of political history with this statement:

"...consider the possibility that "Northern Ireland" was in part defined, not as a "Gerrymander" to ensure a Protestant/Unionist majority, but to ensure that only those counties in which there was already an inescapable Protestant/Unionist majority would remain in the UK?"

"Northern Ireland" was not gerrymandered to exclude Catholic/Nationalist counties to ensure a Protestant/Unionist majority. Rather, the Protestant/Unionist counties were the only ones included, so they would remain in the UK.

I see the error of my ways now, thanks Malcolm.