President meets young people on final day of NI visit
By Rebecca Black, Press Association
President Catherine Connolly was meeting young people on the final day of her visit to Northern Ireland.
Connolly took part in discussions with young people at St Columb’s Park House Peace and Reconciliation Centre in Derry on Thursday morning.
It came on the third and final day of her first official visit to Northern Ireland since becoming president of Ireland, and has been described as fulfilling a commitment in her inaugural address to meet with people from all communities and traditions.
Connolly was formally welcomed by First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly at Stormont Castle in Belfast on the first day of her visit on Wednesday.
She went on to make addresses at the Ulster University campus in Belfast, and the Guildhall in Derry, as well as visiting a number of community projects across both cities.
DUP MP Gregory Campbell warned the Irish President against “rewriting the past” during her visit to Derry on Thursday, while Connolly said she was “here to listen”.
She went on to tour the Siege Museum, visit An Cultúrlann and the Nerve Centre, as well as the Museum of Free Derry, where she met relatives of victims of Bloody Sunday.
Connolly completed her three-day visit in Northern Ireland’s second city, meeting young people from both sides of the border.
The young people were taking part in a number of Youth Action Northern Ireland projects, and engaging with St Columb’s Park House Peace and Reconciliation Centre itself.
They also included those taking part in the cross-community REACH Across organisation for teenagers, the North West Islamic Association, Donegal Youth Services and a school group from Raphoe in Co Donegal.
Dominic Bonner, youth co-ordinator at Youth Action NI, said they were delighted by the engagement with Connolly.
“When we heard the President was coming here today, we were delighted that she invited us to come and spend good-quality time,” he said.
“We were delighted to be able to invite young people and our community workers, because the President wanted to engage with the community, engage with the young people.
“We’re in St Columb’s Park House, beautiful surroundings which provided the space for people to feel comfortable, and safe to talk about some of the issues in this city.
“The talk of today was about continuing partnership, continuing to work together to meet the needs of young people, to continue to keep fighting the battle.
“We’ve done extremely good work around peace and reconciliation, we have to continue that.”
Zena Abdelrahman and Cadi Abousamra were among the young people who spoke with Connolly.
Abdelrahman said she had loved meeting the president, although admitted she had been nervous.
“She was really nice, I was talking to her and asking her what role do young people have in shaping Ireland’s future, and she said that young people have a really important role, she likes how young people are starting to speak up about issues going on globally,” she said.
“She likes young activists such as Greta Thunberg, and how everyone is speaking about what is going on such as climate change, immigration and diversity.”
Abousamra said she is a “big fan” of Connolly’s work.
“It was very refreshing to see a president take in what young people had to say, and actually listen attentively,” she said.
“I have feeling that she is going to be a good president.”
Abdelwahab Elebaid added: “It was very nice, not a lot of countries would have their presidents speak with young people.
“I asked a couple of questions about Irish foreign affairs, Ireland’s stance on the civil war going on in Sudan, she said she was horrified by the genocide right now.
“I also asked how Ireland deals with threats from outside, Russia, China, and now increasingly America. She went into a lot of detail.
“It was admirable of her to meet with young people.”
