Michelle O’Neill still ‘true to Cork roots’

NORTHERN Ireland’s first republican First Minister has been praised for staying true to her Cork roots.

Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill made history on Saturday when she was appointed the first nationalist or republican First Minister. She started life in Fermoy.

Ms O’Neill was born in Cork in 1977. The daughter of former IRA prisoner and Sinn Féin councillor Brendan Doris, she later moved to the village of Clonoe, Co Tyrone, where she spent the rest of her childhood. Her initiation into politics began in her teens. She later became an adviser to Francie Molloy, current MP for Mid Ulster, before taking her father’s seat in 2005 when he stepped down as councillor for Dungannon.

Ms O’Neill’s subsequent achievements include her appointment as the first female mayor in the borough, followed by a stint as minister for agriculture and rural development in 2011. She was appointed party leader in the North in 2017 and deputy first minister in January 2020.

Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould said he has always been very proud of the First Minister’s Cork roots.

“I’d be reminding them that she’s a Cork woman,” he said, referring to his party colleagues. 

“Saturday wasn’t just a historic day for Ireland. It was historic for Fermoy as well to know that one of their own has been elected First Minister. She’s such a class act and we are extremely lucky to have two brilliant leaders with Michelle and Mary Lou in place. 

"It was very emotional talking to people who were up there, who have been campaigning for Sinn Féin for years when we were quite a small party. Now when they look at how we are doing in the Dáil and they see how we are doing in the North it’s not difficult to see how far the party has come,” he said.

“The next step now is for us to hopefully come into power and form a new government after the next election.

“Michelle doesn’t forget her roots. Everyone was waiting for this happen and it ended up being a day full of pride.”

He said the level of support for the First Minister was heartening. “Even the unionist community want her to get on and do the work,” he said. “There were no Unionist protests yesterday outside Stormont. If you went back 10 or 20 years ago there would have been thousands but the people of the north see what peace has given them. Now, they just want the assembly to sort out issues like childcare and housing and the cost of living.” Ms O’Neill will serve alongside DUP MLA Emma Little-Pengelly.