Cork councillors defeat motion calling on Taoiseach to boycott Trump meeting  

A motion calling for the Taoiseach Micheál Martin to boycott his meeting with US president Donald Trump was narrowly defeated by Cork city councillors this week.

People Before Profit-Solidarity councillor Brian McCarthy tabled a motion at Monday night’s meeting asking the authority to push for a boycott of the visit to the White House.

“In the context of the genocide in Gaza, the kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro, the attacks on Iran, and the information coming from the Epstein files, it is completely unacceptable that Taoiseach Micheál Martin is still planning on visiting the White House on St Patrick’s Day to smile and shake Donald Trump’s hand and give him a gift of shamrock on behalf of the Irish people," he said.

Blind eye

He called the US president a “racist, war criminal, abuser”, saying that “Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are on the wrong side”, and that the visit going ahead suggests they are willing to turn a blind eye to genocide.

Labour Party councillor Peter Horgan acknowledged that cancelling the visit was “a hard call”, but said: “We cannot continue to ignore the actions of the current administration.”

Independent Ireland’s Noel O’Flynn warned against motions speaking negatively about the US, given the economic links between the two countries.

Independent councillor Kieran McCarthy said he hoped the Taoiseach would raise several issues with the Trump administration after the presentation of the shamrock.

“I think if we step away from diplomacy, that’s what several people in the States want us to do,” he said

The motion went to a vote, with Labour, Green Party, and Social Democrats councillors voting in favour.

Fianna Fáil and most Fine Gael councillors, as well as O’Flynn and Independent councillors McCarthy, Paudie Dineen, and Albert Deasy voted against. Sinn Féin councillors, Fine Gael’s Gary O’Brien, and Lord Mayor Fergal Dennehy abstained.