DUP MP claims Irish president committed ‘diplomatic faux pas’ on NI visit

Irish President Catherine Connolly committed a “diplomatic faux pas” in her visit to Northern Ireland, DUP MP Gregory Campbell has claimed.

In an email to party members Mr Campbell said Ms Connolly “missed the opportunity” to demonstrate “reconciliation” in contrast to Queen Elizabeth II’s state visit to Ireland in 2011.

On Friday, Ms Connolly concluded a three-day visit to Northern Ireland where she visited Belfast and Londonderry.

Engagements included meeting First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly at Stormont Castle, giving speeches at Ulster University’s campus in Belfast, and the Guildhall in Derry, as well as visiting a number of community projects across both cities.

In a short interaction after her speech in the Guildhall, the DUP MP for East Londonderry told Ms Connolly “you’re in our country” and warned her against “rewriting the past”.

The Irish president responded saying she is “here to listen” – adding “at the end of the day we’re human beings”.

During her campaign, Ms Connolly had pledged that her first presidential visit would be to Northern Ireland.

In an email to DUP members, Mr Campbell said that pledge “was fulfilled in terms of geography, but the tone and content of the visit to the North West raised concerns for many within the unionist community”.

“Throughout the visit, the president repeatedly referred to the city as Derry without even a token reference to ‘Londonderry’ or to recognise that unionists are an integral part of the city’s identity and history,” he said.

He added: “While the president understandably acknowledged the suffering endured by Catholics in Londonderry during the Troubles, there was no reference to the intimidation and displacement experienced by Protestants in the same area of the city where she was making the speech.

“For many unionists, this represented a missed opportunity for genuine reconciliation and balance.

“Instead it amounted to a diplomatic faux pas that failed to recognise the full complexity of Londonderry’s past.”

In 2011, the late Queen made the first state visit to Ireland from a sitting British monarch for 100 years, on the invitation of then president Mary McAleese.

Sinn Fein representatives boycotted that visit, but a year later then deputy first minister Martin McGuinness shook hands with the late Queen at a meeting in Belfast.

Mr Campbell said: “Whilst the president apologised to me on Thursday, I couldn’t help but think afterwards how our late queen, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, gave an exemplar in reconciliation during her 2011 visit to the Republic of Ireland while the Irish president missed the opportunity to do likewise on her visit to Northern Ireland.”

After his meeting with Ms Connolly on Thursday Mr Campbell took part in a debate on Irish unity at University College Dublin, hosted by the UCD Literary & Historical Society.

He said he “respectfully challenged the claim that a border poll and its outcome would be inevitable”.

“The debate was well received and underlined that many of the myths surrounding Northern Ireland’s future remain untested and unproven,” he said.

The motion ‘This House believes that a United Ireland is more than a dream’, which Mr Campbell was opposing, was passed by the debating society

He added: “A border poll is a diversion so let’s focus on making Northern Ireland work.”

SDLP MLA and Leader of the Opposition Matthew O’Toole was also present at the UCD debate speaking in favour of the motion.

“After Gregory’s gratuitous, petty remarks to President Connolly, he received a warm welcome and a respectful hearing at an eventful debate on Irish unity in UCD,” he said.

“A room full of 20-year-old students managed more grace in Dublin than Gregory did in Derry.

“Nevertheless, he was at least willing to put his case for the Union but I’m pleased to say that the proposition I led won the day.”