United Ireland ‘very soon' says Catherine Connolly as she launches Presidency campaign with bid to woo Sinn Féin
The Galway West Independent rejected the idea that she was the "continuity candidate" after 14 years of Michael D Higgins, for whom she wanted to be a running mate.
She left the Labour Party when that bid was rejected, saying it had lost its soul - but refused to answer questions about taking its money for her campaign, which she believes will cost between €500,000 and €1 million.
Ms Connolly, a former leas cheann comhairle, became emotional when she recalled seeing Catholic refugees from Northern Ireland arrive in Galway in the late summer of 1969.
'I think Northern Ireland is extremely important. I think we're going to have united Ireland very soon," Ms Connolly said in response to a suggestion from the Irish Independent that she had been described as a republican socialist.
"I think the Good Friday Agreement has set the framework for that," she said, adding that she would welcome the backing of Sinn Féin.
"I think tremendous work has been done on the ground with cross-border bodies, and I look forward to the day when we have a united Ireland," Ms Connolly said.
But she added: "I absolutely value the diversity, and we must value the different backgrounds in Northern Ireland."
Asked if there was any difference between her position and that of Sinn Féin, she said: "I can tell you my position. You're left to kind to compare and contrast that, which will fail.
"But I grew up in Galway and witnessed the refugees coming to Galway. I was young at the time, and they came down, and they were put up in various colleges - and I witnessed their terror, their upset, and their utter desire for peace,' she said.
So far the only other confirmed candidate is former MEP Mairéad McGuinness, who will run for Fine Gael. Neither Fianna Fáil nor Sinn Féin have decided whether they will run a candidate, while Labour is currently deciding whether to back Ms Connolly after she met them earlier this week.
Ms Connolly said she was "fully ready now for the campaign", adding: "We don't have a huge, big machine, and I think we have conviction".
So far backed by Independents and the Social Democrats, she added: "We believe in what we're doing, and I think we are happy to put forward that vision."
Social Democratic support had "come from the ground up, and I understand it's similar with People Before Profit", Ms Connolly said.
She said she was going to discuss the Presidential salary with her team. "There are lots of decisions to make here about the campaign and how I use the salary is one of those,' she said.
"A I can say at this point is I have stood as a woman who speaks bluntly and who speaks as honestly as I can."
She was asked about the war in Ukraine, and said the Russian invasion was "wrong, illegal and unacceptable", adding "we need to find a voice for diplomacy. We need to get peace."
She added, however: "I think could have been prevented beforehand. What they've done is utterly wrong. It's just inexcusable. But I think we could have worked before that in terms of diplomacy."
She said her clapping for a live video address by Volodomyr Zelensky to the Dáil had been scrutinised, and how long it had lasted.
"I stood and I clapped, and the level of interest from certain quarters in the media was that I didn't clap long enough and I didn't clap hard enough," she said.
"I was nauseous at the war. I would have stood in silence."
She refused to comment on rival contender Ms McGuinness, except to say: "My views on the Fine Gael party are well-known.'
Standing outside Leinster House, Ms Connolly added: "I'm going to be presenting myself as a credible candidate for the Presidency with my views, with my track record, and my work ethic.
"That's what I will be presenting before the people, and I would hope the people would respond to that."
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RTÉ News
5 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
EU-US trade deal brings 'temporary stability' but 'unbalanced'
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Irish Times
35 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Michelle O'Neill: ‘The British state killed local people. Those moments contribute to who you are'
As Michelle O'Neill walks in her home village of Clonoe, east Co Tyrone , there is not a person she passes who does not say hello or a driver who fails to wave from a passing car. O'Neill greets them all in return. Eventually, The Irish Times inquires as to whether she has adopted her own special wave like Queen Elizabeth II's ? 'They do tease me about that,' she says with a laugh. Clonoe is where the First Minister of Northern Ireland and Sinn Féin vice-president spent her formative years and where she still lives. As O'Neill shows us around, it is evident how her family, her village and her community have shaped the person she is and the politician she has become. READ MORE 'I'm Michelle who's from this area. There's no airs and graces, but sure, this is my home. This is where I feel comfortable.' At the heart of this staunchly republican village is Clonoe O'Rahillys GAA club with modern pitches and a redeveloped clubhouse, which also houses the community centre. 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I'm so sorry we lived in a society that [had] a conflict. 'But the job of leadership of 2025, the job of leadership since the Good Friday Agreement, all of my life's work, is about building on what was achieved then [in 1998] and continuing to drive us into the next 25 years.' For O'Neill, this means a united Ireland. She stands by Sinn Féin's aim of a Border poll by 2030, but is 'less fixated on a date' for unity, 'more interested in that the actual planning and preparation is done and that we get it right'. She says: 'The Irish Government really, really need to treat this with urgency … give people the tools in which to make an informed decision.' How is this to be achieved, given that neither the Irish nor the British government – which must ultimately call the poll – have given any indication they intend to do so in the near future? 'Well, governments say many things … then they're forced to take a position just because of the public demand for it. We will continue to make the case,' O'Neill says, arguing that even her own election as First Minister 'speaks to the change that's happening around us' and, coupled with potential of elections ahead, 'all these things can become the tipping point for Irish unity'. She believes there are 'many people' – including unionists – 'open to being persuaded … and they'll be convinced because it's in their best interests. The argument to be made is that there is something better for all of us.' UK prime minister Keir Starmer will not, she says, have 'the luxury of burying his head in the sand and ignoring the call for constitutional change'. In the meantime, as the joint head – with the Deputy First Minister, the DUP's Emma Little-Pengelly – of the four-party Northern Executive, there is much work to be done. Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and First Minister Michelle O'Neill speak to the media last February after Stormont ministers agreed a programme for government. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA 'Emma and I are completely different characters, completely different backgrounds, completely different outlook, but also very understanding of the fact that we have to work together to try and lead the Executive.' Challenges facing Stormont include the crisis in the health service, the worst waiting lists on these islands, and a lack of funding almost across the board. Often, the public perception is that little practical is achieved amid much political point-scoring. 'There are lots of things we work on together and there are differences, but you have to manage those things. That's just the nature of it.' O'Neill is critical of the 'lack of leadership in political unionism, particularly when it comes to issues of bonfires' and its 'faux outrage at times around particular issues'. 'The constant attacks on the GAA tell people who support the GAA and people from an Irish national identity that they're not welcome in this place. Political unionism would need to think about that.' But O'Neill defends the Executive's record: 'We're 18 months in … we have a programme for government, the first in over a decade. We've prioritised health waiting lists and we've put finances in that direction. We've been able to deal with public sector pay.' She also cites 'a whole new economic strategy … advances on childcare, advances on a strategy to end violence against women and girls'. On two major infrastructure projects, the rebuilding of Casement Park and the upgrade of the A5, she says they will be built. 'I've said they'll be built on my watch. I will stand over that.' There is also the matter of the Irish presidential election. O'Neill bats away the names of any potential candidate – Mary Lou McDonald , Gerry Adams , her own – with the same response. Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald with Gerry Adams and party vice-president Michelle O'Neill during a pro-unity group event in Belfast. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA 'The party is still deliberating. We're actively having conversations. We've seen others enter into the field and we'll make our position known very shortly.' Will McDonald lead Sinn Féin into the next general election? 'Absolutely,' she says. Is O'Neill a future leader of her party? 'Well, there's no vacant position,' she says with a laugh. One day? 'I also love being vice-president … and working alongside Mary Lou. She's described me before as her wing woman. That's very much who I am.' The role of First Minister 'is my priority, and that's where I need to be focused … I'm more than content with where I am'.
Irish Times
8 hours ago
- Irish Times
Call for Government to urgently support Irish businesses most at risk from US tariffs
Social Democrats finance spokesman Cian O'Callaghan says the Government must publish an updated summer economic statement to account for the EU 's tariff agreement with the US . In a statement on Sunday evening, Mr O'Callaghan welcomed a deal that 'avoids a catastrophic trade war', but said it is 'beyond doubt . . . that a 15 per cent tariff rate will be very damaging for many Irish businesses'. 'It is less than a week since the Government published its summer economic statement, using an assumption of no tariffs,' he added. 'This was despite the dogs on the street being aware that a 10 per cent tariff rate was the best possible outcome.' Mr O'Callaghan was one of a number of figures in Irish politics to publish statements regarding the trade deal on Sunday evening. Labour leader Ivana Bacik called on the Government to engage with Irish businesses, warning that continued uncertainty around pharmaceutical exports is evidence of 'just how difficult it is to engage constructively with the Trump administration'. READ MORE 'We in Labour are calling on the Government to fast-track the development of a new, modernised short-time work scheme to ensure that skilled jobs are not lost in sectors under pressure,' Ms Bacik said. 'Other EU countries have long-standing schemes that help employers retain staff during economic shocks. We need a system in place in Ireland that can respond to future volatility or sectoral downturns quickly and effectively.' Taoiseach Micheál Martin welcomed the agreement, saying it 'will help to protect many jobs in Ireland'. He added that it 'brings clarity and predictability to the trading relationship between the EU and the US – the biggest in the world". Mr Martin acknowledged that higher tariffs will make trade 'more expensive and more challenging' but said that the agreement 'creates a new era of stability that can hopefully contribute to a growing and deepening relationship between the EU and the US'. [ EU-US deal good for Ireland as it averts trade war but vital details remain unclear Opens in new window ] The Taoiseach pledged to study the details of the agreement, including its implications for Irish businesses exporting to the US and for other sectors operating here. 'Given the very real risk that existed for escalation and for the imposition of punitively high tariffs, this news will be welcomed by many,' his statement concluded. There were further calls to support Irish businesses from Sinn Féin spokesperson on foreign affairs and trade, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire. 'Ultimately, while a deal is preferable to tit-for-tat tariffs, the reality is, tariffs of this kind are bad for businesses, consumers and workers,' he said. 'We need to take the necessary steps to support our indigenous businesses, to increase exports to new markets, to grow talent across the island and to trade across the island and internationally." Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris echoed the Taoiseach in welcoming the transatlantic trade agreement, noting that European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen described the 15 per cent tariff rate as 'all-inclusive'. 'While Ireland regrets that the baseline tariff of 15 per cent is included in the agreement, it is important that we now have more certainty on the foundations of the EU-US trade relationship, which is essential for jobs, growth and investment,' Mr Harris said. Finally, Danny McCoy, CEO of business lobby Ibec, said the trade agreement represents a 'substantial burden for many industries', particularly those relying heavily on the US market to operate. 'Our message to the Government, as it was with the 10 per cent tariff, is that the most exposed sectors will require support similar to the interventions provided as a response to Brexit,' Mr McCoy said.
