Stephen Goss: President Connolly’s visit to Northern Ireland held out hope for a future that could weaken the peace
Who's accountable for the results?
Dr Stephen Goss is a freelance historian, lectures in history and politics in London, and is a Conservative councillor in Reading.
Last week the Republic of Ireland’s recently installed President, Catherine Connolly, visited Northern Ireland.
Since the 1990s, there has been nothing unusual about Presidents popping across the border to encourage peace and negotiation, to cement peace and consociationalism, or talk about peace and reconciliation. In keeping with this, President Connolly’s visit duly included, amongst several other appointments: ‘Youth Action Northern Ireland’s Peace and Reconciliation Centre’; a reception for ‘Women in Community Leadership’; the ‘Black Mountain Shared Space’; and no doubt deliberately, both the Museum of Free Derry (describing the Civil Rights Movement and Bloody Sunday) and the Siege Museum (telling the history of the Siege of Londonderry during the Glorious Revolution).
Yet President Connolly’s visit was rather different. Firstly, it was longer than any of her predecessors, lasting an unprecedented three days. Secondly, she had declared in her inauguration speech that her initial official visit would be to Northern Ireland. In it she stated:
“I look forward to paying my first official visit to the North and meeting with people from all communities and celebrating the rich heritage and traditions of all who live there. I am particularly conscious of Article Three of the Constitution, which sets out in detail the firm wish of the Irish people, the Irish nation to have a united Ireland, albeit in the conditions set out very clearly in the Article on consent. As President, I will foster an inclusive and open dialogue across the island in a manner that highlights and recognises our similarities and respects our differences.”
President Connolly paid lip service to respecting differences and consent, but chose to emphasise Irish unification. As well she might, given that she asserted in her election campaign that Irish unity was a ‘foregone conclusion’ and that she would serve as a voice to promote it.
Contrast her remarks with those of her immediate predecessors. In Mary Robinson’s inauguration address in 1990, she explicitly reached out to Northern Ireland with a message of friendship and reconciliation. She pledged to extend the hand of friendship and love to both communities in the ‘other part of the island’, doing so ‘with no strings attached, no hidden agenda’, and to encourage mutual understanding and tolerance across traditions.
Mary McAleese, at her inauguration – unsurprisingly, as the only Northern Irish President to-date, elected during the Peace Process (1997) – made Northern Ireland and the theme of reconciliation central. She asserted that ‘building bridges’ would be the defining theme of her term, …
Who's accountable for the results?
Dr Stephen Goss is a freelance historian, lectures in history and politics in London, and is a Conservative councillor in Reading.
Last week the Republic of Ireland’s recently installed President, Catherine Connolly, visited Northern Ireland.
Since the 1990s, there has been nothing unusual about Presidents popping across the border to encourage peace and negotiation, to cement peace and consociationalism, or talk about peace and reconciliation. In keeping with this, President Connolly’s visit duly included, amongst several other appointments: ‘Youth Action Northern Ireland’s Peace and Reconciliation Centre’; a reception for ‘Women in Community Leadership’; the ‘Black Mountain Shared Space’; and no doubt deliberately, both the Museum of Free Derry (describing the Civil Rights Movement and Bloody Sunday) and the Siege Museum (telling the history of the Siege of Londonderry during the Glorious Revolution).
Yet President Connolly’s visit was rather different. Firstly, it was longer than any of her predecessors, lasting an unprecedented three days. Secondly, she had declared in her inauguration speech that her initial official visit would be to Northern Ireland. In it she stated:
“I look forward to paying my first official visit to the North and meeting with people from all communities and celebrating the rich heritage and traditions of all who live there. I am particularly conscious of Article Three of the Constitution, which sets out in detail the firm wish of the Irish people, the Irish nation to have a united Ireland, albeit in the conditions set out very clearly in the Article on consent. As President, I will foster an inclusive and open dialogue across the island in a manner that highlights and recognises our similarities and respects our differences.”
President Connolly paid lip service to respecting differences and consent, but chose to emphasise Irish unification. As well she might, given that she asserted in her election campaign that Irish unity was a ‘foregone conclusion’ and that she would serve as a voice to promote it.
Contrast her remarks with those of her immediate predecessors. In Mary Robinson’s inauguration address in 1990, she explicitly reached out to Northern Ireland with a message of friendship and reconciliation. She pledged to extend the hand of friendship and love to both communities in the ‘other part of the island’, doing so ‘with no strings attached, no hidden agenda’, and to encourage mutual understanding and tolerance across traditions.
Mary McAleese, at her inauguration – unsurprisingly, as the only Northern Irish President to-date, elected during the Peace Process (1997) – made Northern Ireland and the theme of reconciliation central. She asserted that ‘building bridges’ would be the defining theme of her term, …
Stephen Goss: President Connolly’s visit to Northern Ireland held out hope for a future that could weaken the peace
Who's accountable for the results?
Dr Stephen Goss is a freelance historian, lectures in history and politics in London, and is a Conservative councillor in Reading.
Last week the Republic of Ireland’s recently installed President, Catherine Connolly, visited Northern Ireland.
Since the 1990s, there has been nothing unusual about Presidents popping across the border to encourage peace and negotiation, to cement peace and consociationalism, or talk about peace and reconciliation. In keeping with this, President Connolly’s visit duly included, amongst several other appointments: ‘Youth Action Northern Ireland’s Peace and Reconciliation Centre’; a reception for ‘Women in Community Leadership’; the ‘Black Mountain Shared Space’; and no doubt deliberately, both the Museum of Free Derry (describing the Civil Rights Movement and Bloody Sunday) and the Siege Museum (telling the history of the Siege of Londonderry during the Glorious Revolution).
Yet President Connolly’s visit was rather different. Firstly, it was longer than any of her predecessors, lasting an unprecedented three days. Secondly, she had declared in her inauguration speech that her initial official visit would be to Northern Ireland. In it she stated:
“I look forward to paying my first official visit to the North and meeting with people from all communities and celebrating the rich heritage and traditions of all who live there. I am particularly conscious of Article Three of the Constitution, which sets out in detail the firm wish of the Irish people, the Irish nation to have a united Ireland, albeit in the conditions set out very clearly in the Article on consent. As President, I will foster an inclusive and open dialogue across the island in a manner that highlights and recognises our similarities and respects our differences.”
President Connolly paid lip service to respecting differences and consent, but chose to emphasise Irish unification. As well she might, given that she asserted in her election campaign that Irish unity was a ‘foregone conclusion’ and that she would serve as a voice to promote it.
Contrast her remarks with those of her immediate predecessors. In Mary Robinson’s inauguration address in 1990, she explicitly reached out to Northern Ireland with a message of friendship and reconciliation. She pledged to extend the hand of friendship and love to both communities in the ‘other part of the island’, doing so ‘with no strings attached, no hidden agenda’, and to encourage mutual understanding and tolerance across traditions.
Mary McAleese, at her inauguration – unsurprisingly, as the only Northern Irish President to-date, elected during the Peace Process (1997) – made Northern Ireland and the theme of reconciliation central. She asserted that ‘building bridges’ would be the defining theme of her term, …
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