HISTORY was made yesterday when Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams shook hands with Prince Charles at the beginning of his four-day visit to Ireland.
The prolonged handshake was hailed by some as a landmark moment but bitterly denounced by relatives of people killed during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Yesterday’s meeting at the National University of Ireland Galway was the first in the Republic between a member of the royal family and the Sinn Fein leadership.
Before meeting Prince Charles who, controversially, is colonel in chief of the Parachute Regiment, Adams said: “I don’t have any expectations other than this being an engagement which I hope is symbolic and practical, and will assist that entire process,” he said.
“There’s a lot of hurt, a lot of grief, but we have to make sure all our steps are forward.”
However, relatives of those killed are angry at the meeting.
“I’m disgusted and furious at the very fact that Sinn Fein are going to be entertaining Prince Charles here,” said Kate Nash, whose brother was among the 13 people shot dead on Bloody Sunday in 1972 during a civil rights march in Derry. An inquiry in 2010 criticised the British Army for shooting without warning.
John Teggart, whose father Danny was killed by soldiers along with nine other people in Ballymurphy in West Belfast in 1971, said: “Prince Charles represents the Parachute Regiment who, for many years, murdered innocent civilians in Belfast, including my father.”
Visits have been made before by the prince to the Republic of Ireland in 1995 and in 2002, but this is the first official visit with his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall.
During the trip they are to make a poignant trip to the spot in County Sligo where Lord Mountbatten – Prince Charles’s great uncle – was killed in 1979 by the IRA.
In a statement on Monday, Adams acknowledged that the prince had been “bereaved by the actions of Republicans” while also pointing out that the Parachute Regiment had “killed many Irish citizens”.
However, he said all sides should now promote “reconciliation and healing”.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here