POLITICAL REACTION:THE ANNOUNCEMENT of Queen Elizabeth's itinerary in Ireland in May has been welcomed by the main political parties, but criticised by republican groups.
Sinn Féin and republican group Éirigí criticised the timing of the visit, which starts on the anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.
Gerry Adams said Sinn Féin was aware of the offence the visit would cause to many Irish citizens. The timing on the anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings was insensitive, he said.
“Sinn Féin wants to see the normalisation of relationships between our two nations and republicans have been in the leadership of this process, but that can only be based on mutual respect and equality and on the ending of the partition of Ireland.”
Éirigí, claimed the visit was designed to “rub salt in the wounds of British violence” and vowed to oppose it in “as robust a manner as possible”.
The group’s chairman Brian Leeson said the itinerary was designed to cause maximum offence because it began on May 17th, the 37th anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.
“The elite of Britain and Ireland have now announced their plans for lavish banquets and trips to stud farms at a time when the vast majority of the people in this State are struggling to survive. The entire spectacle is nothing short of disgusting.”
Louise Minihan, an Éirigí city councillor in Dublin, said the group would engage in “direct action” against the visit. Asked if she would seek to replicate her paint attack on former minister for health Mary Harney last year, she replied: “If we get that near to her, there’ll be something like that. But I doubt, with the security cordon, that we will.”
Last February, the Dublin District Court fined Ms Minihan €1,500 for splattering Ms Harney with red paint in Ballyfermot. She refuses to pay the fine.
Labour said it welcomed the visit as an opportunity to showcase Ireland as a tourist destination.
A spokesperson for Fianna Fáil commented: “We welcome today’s confirmation of Queen Elizabeth’s itinerary. The visit will be rich in symbolism, reminding us of the importance of this visit in the context of the improved relationship between our nations, as well as showing off much of the best of what Ireland has to offer visitors from Britain and around the world.
“Everyone with an interest in promoting and developing Ireland will welcome this news and will play their part in making Queen Elizabeth and other visitors over the coming months feel welcome in our country.”