While causes of Troubles remain, we will never escape past
ALEX KANE, Irish News, March 18th, 2026
‘Time For Truth’ campaigners outside the High Court in Belfast
THE philosopher Alan Watts, who helped introduce the world to the Beat Generation and wrote the multi-million bestseller The Way of Zen, had a very useful word for coming to terms with and letting go of things from the past.
He called it ‘forgettery’: “If you always, and always, and always remembered everything, you see, you would be like a piece of paper which had been painted over, and painted over, and painted over, until there was no space left and you wouldn’t be able to distinguish between one thing and another.”
I can see an argument for ‘forgettery’.
Too often we hold on to memories which actually become a barrier to moving on with our thinking and analysis of what is going on around us.
So much of a barrier, in fact, that we become trapped in and by the past. Unable to let go. Unable to move on.
Unable to accept that the world we see, through the prism of unreleased memories, is a world that fewer and fewer people recognise.
And, in not recognising it, see us as relics from the past who aren’t allowing them to move on.
As we know all too well, in Northern Ireland, tens of thousands of people still live with the debilitating physical and psychological memories of our troubled past.
Tens upon tens of thousands more live with the memories of family, friends and assorted loved ones who were murdered or seriously injured by events during those 30 or so years of daily terrorism.
The Good Friday Agreement was never meant to remove – and never could have, of course – those memories from all of those people.
Memory isn’t eradicated by a peace deal; and nor will it necessarily be eased by the fact that former armed opponents have stopped creating new horrific memories for yet another generation.
All a peace deal can do is – maybe, just maybe – create and nurture the circumstances in which the hurt will be able to find some hope in their pain not being experienced by the post-GFA generation.
“ You can’t tell anyone to keep taking a risk for the peace/ political process when it is, to all intents and purposes, still a shambles three decades later
Why ‘forgettery’ is not possible
Yet it seems to me that ‘forgettery’ is not possible when, 32 years after the original ceasefire, the primary cause of the conflict has not been removed.
I’ve written before about talking to people over the years who still find it impossible to forget, or even sideline the past.
And their difficulty is not just about the hurt – physical and psychological – they still endure; rather, it’s their fear – and for many it is accurately described as fear – that nothing has really changed.
Yes, there may be superficial evidence that there has been change; yet below the surface things are pretty much the same.
Regular readers will be aware I believe we are trapped in a limbo in which the past is always in front of us.
That’s why we cannot move on to dealing with reconciliation, legacy, agreed narratives, truth and genuinely cooperative government.
It’s why the shadow of new-generational violence (maybe as a response to whatever way a border poll goes; or even the lack of a border poll) still hovers in the corner of our eye.
It’s why a post-GFA political/electoral generation hasn’t swept away the ways and memories of the old days. “Give it time, Alex. Give it time.” Bugger that.
At what point do we accept that the most persuasive factor in our way of doing political business in Northern Ireland/Ulster/the North/the Six Counties (we can’t even agree on the bloody name of the place) is how we view the past.
And here’s a challenge for you: apart from the general agreement that Westminster should stump up the cash every time the Executive holds out a begging bowl, on what other key issue is there collective agreement?
Go on, sit down with a pencil and a piece of paper – a mere scrap will probably do – and ping off the list to the letters page.
You can’t paint and keep on trying to paint over the memories of the past. ‘Forgettery’ will not work here. Impossible-to-balance, one-situation-against-the-other legislation will not work.
Regular messages from the Pollyanna subset to focus on the good things hasn’t worked, either, because that is based on pretending not to notice the you-know-what still floating about after the toilet has been flushed.
You can’t just tell hundreds of thousands of people to let go and move on. Crucially, you can’t tell anyone to keep on taking a risk for the peace/political process when it is, to all intents and purposes, still a shambles three decades later.
Before you ask: no, I don’t have an answer to any of this. Nobody has.
That’s because the primary cause of the modern conflict in the first case – partition – remains: and it’s not likely to change any time soon.
Young ‘feel empty’ in ‘fragile and troubled’ world of AI and war, Archbishop of Armagh
CONOR SHEILS, Irish News, March 18th, 2026
YOUNG people are feeling empty and lost in a world torn apart by war amid rapid technological change, the Archbishop of Armagh has warned.Archbishop Eamon Martin made the remarks during his St Patrick’s Day homily at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh.
He said young people had spoken to him of “the emptiness they are feeling in this fragile and troubled world, which on the one hand celebrates advances in technology and artificial intelligence, while at the same time it seems to be tearing itself apart through war and aggression and the killing and displacement of innocent civilians and families.”
The Archbishop said families and young people must navigate a complex world where good and evil “exist and grow alongside one another”, warning against following those who tell people what they want to hear rather than the truth.
His comments came as he previewed a Diocesan Congress on Youth, Family and Faith taking place in Armagh this weekend. The event, which is five years in the making, is set to feature around 60% of delegates under the age of 35.
Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV sent a personal message to the congress, saying he trusts it to “seek concrete ways to strengthen the ties between parish and family life” and help “rekindle the flame of faith once ignited by Saint Patrick.”
Archbishop Martin said new research suggests young adults in Ireland are becoming “more curious and searching for faith”, seeking “nourishment for their interior lives, their well-being and mental health.”
Oil crisis demands a united response from Stormont
Pro Fide et Patria, Irish News, March 18th, 2026
IT is profoundly frustrating for ordinary citizens, struggling to cope with overwhelming cost of living pressures, to see the two main Stormont parties arguing over the circumstances surrounding a potentially vital support package from London.
There will be strong agreement that the £17m initially offered to the north by the UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Monday to deal with soaring heating oil bills is completely inadequate and should be urgently revised.
Prices have dramatically increased in recent weeks due to the international impact of the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran, with customers reporting that the price of filling their tanks had doubled in the space of a matter of days.
“ With every prospect that oil prices will continue to escalate, our politicians must concentrate on finding short term solutions for their long-suffering constituents rather than engaging in another tedious round of slanging matches
Almost two in every three homes across the north use oil for heating, leaving consumers in the region much more vulnerable than their counterparts across the water who have a range of other viable options.
There are obvious fears that the crisis in the Middle East will lead to a further sharp spike in fuel prices, with the result that a range of people will soon be effectively unable to afford further supplies.
We are fortunate that the below-average temperatures we have experienced so far this year are easing, but there are plainly serious health risks if pensioners and families with young children are left in cold homes day after day.
With around half a million households here relying on oil-fired central heating, the £17.4m so far announced would amount to around £35 each, a figure bringing only the most marginal of benefits.
United front in Stormont will ensure poorest househols get priority
It is entirely appropriate that priority should be given to those in the lowest income brackets, but it is also vital that a united front at Parliament Buildings should accompany negotiations for a much fairer allocation from Whitehall.
Instead, we have seen Sinn Féin and the DUP clash publicly and repeatedly over a series of related issues rather than concentrating on the need to jointly lobby the Treasury for a more reasonable approach.
It is important for Stormont to examine all its own fundraising structures in a mature and measured way, but the opportunity to immediately obtain an improved level of fuel support for hard-pressed individuals from all backgrounds must not be lost.
All the indications are that Donald Trump has completely mishandled an intervention against Iran which should never have been started in the first place, and has no coherent plan for bringing the conflict to an end.
With every prospect that oil prices will continue to escalate, our politicians must concentrate on finding short-term solutions for their long-suffering constituents rather than engaging in another tedious round of slanging matches.
Gerry Adams ‘pushed’ IRA into attacks in England, UK court told
Mark Hennessy, Ireland and Britain Editor with The Irish Times and Ellen O’Riordan in London
Former Sinn Féin president is being sued for ‘vindicatory’ damages of £1 in connection to IRA bombings
Former president of Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams “pushed” the IRA into attacks in England in the 1990s in a bid to pressure the British government in negotiations, the High Court in London has heard.
Bombings in Canary Wharf in London and Manchester in 1996 were used as leverage to force Downing Street to open talks with Sinn Féin, barrister Max Hill claimed during a civil case against Adams.
“No, that is not true,” Adams replied, insisting that he was “focused” on his work to bring about a “permanent end to the conflict”.
The case against Adams is being taken by three victims of IRA bombings in England: John Clark, who was injured in the 1973 Old Bailey bombing; Jonathan Ganesh, who was hurt in the 1996 London docklands bombing; and Barry Laycock, who was left with life-changing injuries from the 1996 Manchester Arndale bombing.
The three men are suing Adams for “vindicatory” damages of £1 (€1.16), alleging he was “directly responsible” for the attacks.
During often testy exchanges, Adams clashed frequently with Hill, a former UK director of public prosecutions, telling him at one point to stop referring to Britain as “the mainland”.
Britain ‘is our nearest offshore island’
“I live on the mainland ... This [Britain] is our nearest offshore island,” Adams said who repeatedly denied that he had ever been a member of the IRA.
During several hours of questioning, Hill, who was brought into the claimants’ legal team solely for the task of facing Adams, repeatedly insisted he was a member of the IRA. He said Adams’ denials that he did not know leading IRA figures, such as Ivor Bell, were in the IRA were not credible.
Denying that he had ever been a member of the IRA, or its Army Council, Adams early on said he had noticed that Laycock, one of the claimants and one of those injured in the 1996 Manchester bombing, was in the court.
“I never held any role or rank within the IRA. I repeat that I had no involvement whatsoever in the authorisation, planning or conduct of the bombings in which the claimants were sadly injured,” he said.
In his witness statement, he said the claimants argued he had an “affiliation with” and a “leadership role” within the IRA and that this made him “party to a common design” with others to bomb Britain.
“These allegations are untrue,” said Adams. “I was never a member of the IRA or its Army Council. I was never the commanding officer or OC of the 2nd Battalion of the IRA’s Belfast Brigade.
“Indeed, I have never held any rank or role within the IRA, including on the IRA’s Army Council. I have never held a command-and-control role in the IRA and have never been a senior, let alone most senior figure, in the IRA.”
Continuing, he said he had “no knowledge” of “the structure or decision-making processes of the IRA”, or that he had had anything to do with the drafting of the IRA’s disciplinary code, the so-called Green Book.
Under questioning from Hill, Adams denied that his membership of an IRA delegation that went to London in 1972 to meet then-Northern Ireland secretary, Willie Whitelaw, showed he was a senior figure.
Hill countered by saying Bell, a leading IRA figure, has said Adams had to be released from internment to travel to London. This happened even though the Ballymurphy-born Adams was just 23 at the time and not well known, Hill added.
However, Adams insisted “no one was surprised than me” when he was included in the talks, where everybody else – including Martin McGuinness – were known members of the IRA.
“I attended in my capacity as a representative of Sinn Féin, along with Dáithí Ó Conaill, the vice-president of Sinn Féin. The talks were also attended by Myles Shevlin, a Dublin-based solicitor who was there to offer legal advice,” he said.
“I recall that Seán Mac Stíofáin, Seamus Twomey, Ivor Bell and Martin McGuinness were also present at these talks. To be clear, I was not consulted about, and I played no part in selecting, the attendees at that meeting.
“I was not informed of, and I did not discuss with any of those persons, their status, except that they were there as peace negotiators seeking an end to the conflict,” Adams said in a lengthy witness statement.
“I played no role in the resumption of hostilities that occurred in 1972 after that meeting and I did not have any advance knowledge of the IRA’s decision to end the ceasefire,” he said.
‘Say Nothing’
Questioned about Say Nothing, the book written by Patrick Radden Keefe about the kidnapping and murder of Belfast widowed mother-of-ten Jean McConville, Adams described the New York-based writer as “an opportunist”.
The book was based on the Boston College Tapes that were created by people who were known opponents of his attempts to create a political way of ending the Troubles, Adams said.
“Well-publicised malicious allegations have been made against me in relation to Jean McConville. I reject these. I believe that the killing of Jean McConville and the secret burial of her body was wrong and a grievous injustice to her and her family,” he said.
He rejected the interview given to Boston College by Dolours Price claiming he had been OC of the IRA’s “Belfast Brigade” and said he had personally ordered the bombings, warning volunteers that “it is a hanging job”.
Pointing to more than 60 years of membership, Adams said he had joined in 1964 after the RUC raided an election office in the Divis Flats in west Belfast where an Irish tricolour was being flown.
He quickly gained an understanding of the discrimination faced by Catholics in Northern Ireland, giving up school and the chance of university to become a political activist.
“To be clear, membership of the political party Sinn Féin does not equate to membership of the IRA. Sinn Féin is a political party that seeks a whole range of political objectives, including an end to partition and Irish unity.
“Throughout my life, opponents of Sinn Féin have repeatedly sought to conflate Sinn Féin with the IRA. As I have always stated, Sinn Féin and the IRA are separate organisations,” he said.
He said he had been “very moved” by Laycock’s testimony in the case last week, though the judge intervened to instruct Adams only to answer questions from counsel, rather than addressing anyone in the court.
In his witness statement, Adams said he wished to emphasise “I am very conscious that the Claimants have suffered significantly as a result of bombings in England in 1973 and 1996, in which they were innocent victims”.
Though he denied that he was responsible for the bombings, he said “nothing in this statement should be taken as criticism of the claimants, or as any attempt to deny or diminish their awful experiences”.
Sinn Fein gave Britain the peace process ‘on a plate’, says Adams
DANNY HALPIN and CALLUM PARKE, Irish News, March 18th, 2026
THE peace process was given to the British government “on a plate”, Gerry Adams has told the London High Court.
Mr Adams was giving evidence yesterday in defence of a legal claim brought against him by three victims of bombings in England by the Provisional IRA in the 1970s and 1990s.
John Clark, a victim of the 1973 Old Bailey bombing in London; Jonathan Ganesh, a 1996 London Docklands bombing victim; and Barry Laycock, a victim of the 1996 Arndale shopping centre bombing in Manchester, all allege that Mr Adams was a leading member of the Provisional IRA on those dates, including of its Army Council, and are seeking £1 in damages.
Adams tells court he was glad the IRA ‘left the stage’
The former Sinn Féin president denies the allegations and is defending the claim, telling the court that he had “no involvement whatsoever” in the bombings and was never a member of the Provisional IRA.
Mr Adams, wearing a dark suit and tie, a shamrock and a badge of the Palestinian flag, began his evidence by wishing the judge, Mr Justice Swift, “a very happy St Patrick’s Day”.
Later yesterday, Sir Max Hill KC, for the victims, suggested during cross-examination that Mr Adams used bombs as a way to get the British government to the negotiating table.
Sir Max said: “I am asking whether you accept that bombing Britain has worked for you, Mr Adams.”
Mr Adams replied: “No. We put together a peace process. It was given to John Major’s government, if I may use the expression, on a plate.
“He was handed this put together by people in Ireland with help from our friends in Irish America.
“There is no reason whatsoever in any person’s language why the people who live on the island of Ireland cannot be free from British rule.”
Mr Adams said later: “I think it’s OK to have friendly relationships with your neighbours, but we don’t want our neighbours living in our house, living in our home.”
When asked whether he had disdain for John Major’s government, Mr Adams said: “It’s done, it’s gone.
‘You have to live in the future’
“I have learnt that you have to live in the now, you can’t live in the past, you have to live in the future.”
He continued: “A united Ireland is not inevitable.”
He added: “I hope to live in a united Ireland, but if I do not, I will go to my grave content that I have played a role in bringing about a united Ireland.”
He also said: “We are not at the end objective yet, but we have peace.”
Mr Adams has claimed that while he was a member of Sinn Féin, and was the organisation’s president from 1983 to 2018, he “was never a member of the IRA or its Army Council, and I never held any role or rank within the IRA”.
He told the court that he never took an oath of allegiance to the Provisional IRA, and attended talks with the British government in London in 1972 in his capacity as a member of Sinn Féin.
Mr Adams then denied Sir Max’s claim that he was “rewriting history”.
Earlier yesterday, Mr Adams told the court that while he did not distance himself from the Provisional IRA, he was glad the organisation had “left the stage” and that there were “dastardly things that were done that should never have been done”.
In his witness statement, he also said that he “had no involvement in or advance knowledge” of the three bombings.
Anne Studd KC, for the bomb victims, previously told the trial that being a member of Sinn Féin and a member of the Provisional IRA was “a distinction without a difference” for some individuals, including Mr Adams.
Ms Studd also told the court that Mr Adams had “a foot in each camp” of the military and political sides of the Irish Republican movement.
The barrister continued that Mr Adams was “directly responsible for and complicit in those decisions made by that organisation to detonate bombs on the British mainland in 1973 and 1996”.
The trial before Mr Justice Swift is expected to end later in March.
Adams denies rewriting history and dismisses ex-Provo claims as 'fantasy'
KURTIS REID, Belfast Telegraph, March 18th, 2026
FORMER SF PRESIDENT REJECTS ASSERTION DELEGATION AT 1972 LONDON TALKS WERE REPRESENTING THE IRA
Gerry Adams branded former IRA member Shane O'Doherty “a fantasist” as he rejected claims that those at the 1972 Cheyne Walk talks were representing the Provos.
The former Sinn Fein president was giving the first day of evidence at the High Court in London yesterday in his defence against a civil claim brought by three men injured in bombings in England in 1973 and 1996.
Jonathan Ganesh, who was injured in the 1996 Docklands bombing, John Clark, a victim of the 1973 Old Bailey bombing, and Barry Laycock, injured in the 1996 Manchester Arndale attack, are suing Mr Adams for £1 in damages.
They allege he was a senior figure in the Provisional IRA at the relevant times, including a member of its army council, and was personally responsible for decisions which led to the attacks.
Mr Adams denies the claim and insists he was never a member of the IRA.
During a lengthy cross-examination by barrister Sir Max Hill KC, Mr Adams was challenged on evidence from former IRA member Shane O'Doherty, who claimed Martin McGuinness had said those at the Cheyne Walk talks in London were representing the Provos and were carrying personal protection weapons.
Mr Adams dismissed the account outright.
“I listened to the assertion that the people at these talks were carrying firearms, which is totally untrue, he is a fantasist, and I've never met him and he's never met me. I'm actually pleased I don't know him,” he said.
Asked if there was any truth in Mr O'Doherty's account, Mr Adams replied: “There is no truth. I can't be expected to read the man's mind as to why he would tell these tales. But it's not true.”
He also rejected the suggestion that Mr McGuinness could have described those attending the talks as Provisional IRA representatives, saying: “I'd be surprised, because we weren't.”
Sir Max repeatedly told Mr Adams that the Cheyne Walk delegation was made up of IRA figures, pointing to accounts from Seán Mac Stíofáin and others.
Mr Adams replied: “I don't accept that,” and again denied ever being a member of the organisation.
At one point, he told the court: “I have not and never been a member of the IRA.”
Mr Adams was also accused of “rewriting history” and trying to create distance between himself and senior IRA figures, particularly Brendan Hughes, over differing accounts of who was arrested with him in 1973.
Rejecting that suggestion after it was pointed out Mr Hughes was missing from his witness statement, he said: “I strongly refute that I was deceiving anyone. I have no reason to distance myself from Brendan.”
Later, as Sir Max suggested he had spent decades “attempting to rewrite history”, Mr Adams replied: “I reject the point you're making.”
The court also heard sharp exchanges over Mr Adams' political objectives and the peace process.
He said his focus in the 1990s had been “putting together a peace process” and bringing about “an end to conflict in Ireland”.
The cross-examination then turned to Mr Adams' family background, with Sir Max suggesting he had been “born into” an IRA-linked family.
He was shown a 1942 charge sheet relating to his father, Gerry Adams Snr, which stated he was “known to associate with members of the IRA” and had faced allegations including the attempted murder of two police officers.
Mr Adams said he had never seen the document before, describing it as “a piece of family history” as he read it in court.
Asked if he had been raised in a family with active IRA members, he pushed back strongly, claiming he was born in a republican family.
When it was put to him that he was “the son of an IRA operative” and nephew of another, he replied: “Of all the things we have to take responsibility for, we don't have to take responsibility for who our father is.”
He accepted that his uncle Dominic had been a republican, but said he did not know the extent of his involvement in the IRA, adding: “I knew he was a republican and his wife Maggie was also a republican.”
Mr Adams also confirmed that his brother, Patrick, had been convicted in connection with an incident linked to a hunger striker's funeral, but suggested the wider context of the Troubles meant many families were affected.
“Long Kesh was coming down with people related to each other,” he said.
Sir Max suggested that Mr Adams' background demonstrated long-standing links to the IRA within his family, but he rejected that characterisation.
‘Didn't distance himself” from PIRA
“I'm not contesting elements of that,” he said of some historical details, before adding that family history did not determine his own actions. Earlier in the day's evidence, Mr Adams said he “didn't distance himself” from the IRA, but again denied ever being a member.
Opening his evidence, he told the court he had “no involvement whatsoever in the authorisation, planning or conduct of the bombings in which the claimants were sadly injured”.
Wearing a shamrock and a Palestinian flag badge as he entered the witness box, Mr Adams wished Mr Justice Swift “a very happy St Patrick's Day”.
The judge replied: “Thank you very much.”
In his witness statement, Mr Adams said his political work “from the late 1960s until today” was “a matter of public record and widely reported” and said he had worked with others over many years “to bring the conflict in the north of Ireland to an end”.
He also told the court he remained committed to “assisting all efforts to cement the peace process and to promote Irish unity”, and backed the creation of a truth and reconciliation process for Troubles victims.
Sir Max put to him passages from books and previous interviews which he said suggested Mr Adams had detailed knowledge of the IRA's structure and decision-making. One passage from Ed Moloney's book, Voices from the Grave, described an alleged meeting between Mr Adams and Mr Hughes, which Sir Max suggested was a meeting between “two IRA men”.
“That's not true,” Mr Adams replied.
He gave the same answer a number of times as Sir Max put claims to him about alleged involvement in the IRA during the early 1970s and the roles of leading republicans whose names have featured during the trial.
Mr Adams also rejected suggestions that attending IRA funerals or being pictured in a black beret amounted to proof of membership.
At one point, when asked about a photograph said to show him at an alleged IRA funeral, he said wearing a black beret was not evidence of anything, adding: “Benny Hill wears a black beret.”
But in one of the most striking exchanges of the morning, Mr Adams made clear that while he denied IRA membership, he had not sought to disown the organisation entirely.
“I didn't distance myself from the IRA,” he said.
He added: “I don't deny there were dastardly things done.”
Mr Adams continued: “They were my neighbours, and if your neighbour was invaded, I'm sure a group of patriotic Englishmen would get together.
“But I am glad the IRA has left the stage.”
Irish hunger strikers endured 'unimaginable hardship', says New York mayor
LIAM TUNNEY, Belfast Telegraph, March 16th, 2026
HE ALSO CRITICISED BRITAIN'S 'IMPERIAL CALLOUSNESS' DURING THE IRISH FAMINE
The Mayor of New York has caused controversy after he praised republican hunger strikers and said Britain had shown “imperial callousness” during the Irish Famine of the 1840s.
In a St Patrick's Day address posted on his social media accounts, Zohran Mamdani also highlighted Ireland's support for the Palestinian cause and spoke of the historic discrimination faced by Irish workers in New York.
Mr Mamdani became the first Muslim Mayor of New York after defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo in last year's election.
He began his St Patrick's Day message by referring to writings attributed to the saint which included the line: “Weep with those who weep.”
The Mayor said Irish solidarity was “no coincidence”.
“It was on Irish soil that the British Empire developed their colonial project,” he told followers.
“Yet the story of Ireland is not merely one of violent oppression, of subjugation, of attempted domination. It is one of resistance too.
“For centuries, generation after generation waged a lonely effort for independence. Year after year, uprising after uprising, they were brutally beaten back. And still, they kept coming. “
Mr Mamdani added: “I think of leaders like James Connolly and Patrick Pearse, who roused hundreds of thousands with demands of political freedom and economic self-determination.
“I think of those who endured unimaginable hardship during the Troubles.
“The 10 prisoners who died after going on hunger strike to protest the British government's refusal to deem them political prisoners.
“I think of the many whose names have been lost to time, who perished from a famine exacerbated by imperial callousness.”
The Mayor also mentioned the plight of generations of Irish people who faced discrimination after emigrating to the US.
“They were barred from employment and housing,” he said.
“Signs plastered across storefronts read, help wanted, no Irish need apply. They did not grow discouraged, however.
“They organized, mobilized, and formed labour movements that endure to this day.
“It was Irish hands that helped build so much of the city we recognize today. The skyscrapers that pierce clouds, the tunnels carved through bedrock.
“If solidarity has so often been withheld from the Irish, it has never been withheld by the Irish. “
Ireland First
Mr Mamdani concluded his St Patrick's Day message by praising Irish solidarity with Palestine.
“An Irish diplomat named Roger Casement helped to expose the barbarism of Belgian King Leopold II in the Congo Free State,” he said.
“After Dublin supermarket workers went on a three-year strike to protest apartheid, the Irish government banned the import of South African goods, the first complete ban by a Western government.
“And in 1980, Ireland was the first EEC nation to call for a Palestinian state.
“For years afterwards, Irish leaders like former President Mary Robinson stood steadfast in their support for Palestinian freedom.
“Today, as we celebrate St Patrick's Day, I know there are many who feel a continued obligation to one another, to a world where justice does not feel so often like the exception, to all those who still weep.
“Happy St Patrick's Day.”
Adams denies rewriting history and dismisses ex-Provo's court claims as 'fantasy'
KURTIS REID, Belfast Telegraph, March 18th, 2026
FORMER SF PRESIDENT REJECTS ASSERTION DELEGATION AT 1972 LONDON TALKS WERE REPRESENTING THE IRA
Gerry Adams branded former IRA member Shane O'Doherty “a fantasist” as he rejected claims that those at the 1972 Cheyne Walk talks were representing the Provos.
The former Sinn Fein president was giving the first day of evidence at the High Court in London yesterday in his defence against a civil claim brought by three men injured in bombings in England in 1973 and 1996.
Jonathan Ganesh, who was injured in the 1996 Docklands bombing, John Clark, a victim of the 1973 Old Bailey bombing, and Barry Laycock, injured in the 1996 Manchester Arndale attack, are suing Mr Adams for £1 in damages.
They allege he was a senior figure in the Provisional IRA at the relevant times, including a member of its army council, and was personally responsible for decisions which led to the attacks.
Mr Adams denies the claim and insists he was never a member of the IRA.
During a lengthy cross-examination by barrister Sir Max Hill KC, Mr Adams was challenged on evidence from former IRA member Shane O'Doherty, who claimed Martin McGuinness had said those at the Cheyne Walk talks in London were representing the Provos and were carrying personal protection weapons.
Mr Adams dismissed the account outright.
“I listened to the assertion that the people at these talks were carrying firearms, which is totally untrue, he is a fantasist, and I've never met him and he's never met me. I'm actually pleased I don't know him,” he said.
Asked if there was any truth in Mr O'Doherty's account, Mr Adams replied: “There is no truth. I can't be expected to read the man's mind as to why he would tell these tales. But it's not true.”
He also rejected the suggestion that Mr McGuinness could have described those attending the talks as Provisional IRA representatives, saying: “I'd be surprised, because we weren't.”
Sir Max repeatedly told Mr Adams that the Cheyne Walk delegation was made up of IRA figures, pointing to accounts from Seán Mac Stíofáin and others.
Mr Adams replied: “I don't accept that,” and again denied ever being a member of the organisation.
At one point, he told the court: “I have not and never been a member of the IRA.”
Mr Adams was also accused of “rewriting history” and trying to create distance between himself and senior IRA figures, particularly Brendan Hughes, over differing accounts of who was arrested with him in 1973.
Rejecting that suggestion after it was pointed out Mr Hughes was missing from his witness statement, he said: “I strongly refute that I was deceiving anyone. I have no reason to distance myself from Brendan.”
Later, as Sir Max suggested he had spent decades “attempting to rewrite history”, Mr Adams replied: “I reject the point you're making.”
The court also heard sharp exchanges over Mr Adams' political objectives and the peace process.
He said his focus in the 1990s had been “putting together a peace process” and bringing about “an end to conflict in Ireland”.
The cross-examination then turned to Mr Adams' family background, with Sir Max suggesting he had been “born into” an IRA-linked family.
He was shown a 1942 charge sheet relating to his father, Gerry Adams Snr, which stated he was “known to associate with members of the IRA” and had faced allegations including the attempted murder of two police officers.
Mr Adams said he had never seen the document before, describing it as “a piece of family history” as he read it in court.
Asked if he had been raised in a family with active IRA members, he pushed back strongly, claiming he was born in a republican family.
When it was put to him that he was “the son of an IRA operative” and nephew of another, he replied: “Of all the things we have to take responsibility for, we don't have to take responsibility for who our father is.”
He accepted that his uncle Dominic had been a republican, but said he did not know the extent of his involvement in the IRA, adding: “I knew he was a republican and his wife Maggie was also a republican.”
Mr Adams also confirmed that his brother, Patrick, had been convicted in connection with an incident linked to a hunger striker's funeral, but suggested the wider context of the Troubles meant many families were affected.
“Long Kesh was coming down with people related to each other,” he said.
Sir Max suggested that Mr Adams' background demonstrated long-standing links to the IRA within his family, but he rejected that characterisation.
‘Didn't distance himself” from PIRA
“I'm not contesting elements of that,” he said of some historical details, before adding that family history did not determine his own actions. Earlier in the day's evidence, Mr Adams said he “didn't distance himself” from the IRA, but again denied ever being a member.
Opening his evidence, he told the court he had “no involvement whatsoever in the authorisation, planning or conduct of the bombings in which the claimants were sadly injured”.
Wearing a shamrock and a Palestinian flag badge as he entered the witness box, Mr Adams wished Mr Justice Swift “a very happy St Patrick's Day”.
The judge replied: “Thank you very much.”
In his witness statement, Mr Adams said his political work “from the late 1960s until today” was “a matter of public record and widely reported” and said he had worked with others over many years “to bring the conflict in the north of Ireland to an end”.
He also told the court he remained committed to “assisting all efforts to cement the peace process and to promote Irish unity”, and backed the creation of a truth and reconciliation process for Troubles victims.
Sir Max put to him passages from books and previous interviews which he said suggested Mr Adams had detailed knowledge of the IRA's structure and decision-making. One passage from Ed Moloney's book, Voices from the Grave, described an alleged meeting between Mr Adams and Mr Hughes, which Sir Max suggested was a meeting between “two IRA men”.
“That's not true,” Mr Adams replied.
He gave the same answer a number of times as Sir Max put claims to him about alleged involvement in the IRA during the early 1970s and the roles of leading republicans whose names have featured during the trial.
Mr Adams also rejected suggestions that attending IRA funerals or being pictured in a black beret amounted to proof of membership.
At one point, when asked about a photograph said to show him at an alleged IRA funeral, he said wearing a black beret was not evidence of anything, adding: “Benny Hill wears a black beret.”
But in one of the most striking exchanges of the morning, Mr Adams made clear that while he denied IRA membership, he had not sought to disown the organisation entirely.
“I didn't distance myself from the IRA,” he said.
He added: “I don't deny there were dastardly things done.”
Mr Adams continued: “They were my neighbours, and if your neighbour was invaded, I'm sure a group of patriotic Englishmen would get together.
“But I am glad the IRA has left the stage.”
Taoiseach affirms ‘tremendous bonds’ between Ireland and US
JOHN BRESLIN and PA, Irish News, March 18th, 2026
Trump tells Martin to buy US liquified natural gas on St Patrick’s Day visit to the White House
TAOISEACH Micheál Martin thanked Donald Trump for “affirming the tremendous bonds” between Ireland and the US during a meeting in the Oval Office on St Patrick’s Day.
The taoiseach met the US president at the White House as part of the leader of Ireland’s annual visit to Washington DC for St Patrick’s Day.
“In many ways our connection is foundational, it’s historic, and the Irish have helped to build America,” Mr Martin said.
“We’re very proud of that connection and we think you hosting us here in the White House is affirmation to all the Irish-Americans out there and to our diaspora in this country for what they’ve contributed to America.”
Mr Martin told the president Ireland believes in “robust and fair” rules around immigration, adding he would “love” to develop a legal pathway for migration between the US and Ireland.
“In Ireland, our population is growing but in a very positive way,” the taoiseach said.
“Our economy is going well because we’re attracting a lot of people from Europe and beyond in to work in our country.
“I think sometimes Europe gets characterised in terms of it being ‘overrun’. It’s much more robust now, a much more stronger mechanism in place to facilitate legal migration, and I think it’s important.”
Mr Trump said energy prices in Ireland will “drop like a rock” after the war with Iran ends. He was responding to a question about Irish people paying high energy prices because of the US-Israeli attack on Iran.
“I think the people in Ireland are very happy that I’m getting rid of – I have a lot of friends from Ireland, they’re very happy that I’m getting rid of – a nuclear power, a nuclear terrorist.
“And as soon as that war is over, which will be soon, your prices are going to drop like a rock. You watch.”
Mr Martin said the US president “has the capacity” to get along with European leaders. He was responding to a question after Trump said UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was not supportive of the US military offensive on Iran.
President Trump said Sir Keir made a “big mistake” in his response to US calls for support in the war with Iran, as he suggested his effort to strike a “good deal” on trade with the UK “probably wasn’t appreciated”.
Mr Martin said the relationship between Europe and the US is “very, very important”, and that Mr Starmer had “done a lot to reset” the Irish-British relationship.
He said previous issues between the EU and the US last year, where there was the threat of a tariff war, were resolved.
“I think we can get landing zone again,” Mr Martin said.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson with Taoiseach Micheál Martin during the Friends of Ireland luncheon at the US Capitol yesterday
Mr Martin said of Sir Keir: “I do believe that he’s a very earnest, sound person. With him, you have a capacity to get on with, you’ve got on with him before.”
In opening remarks, the president said: “It’s a great honour to have Taoiseach Martin – somebody that we know we get along with.
“We’ve had a very good relationship.”
He added: “We’re going to have some big discussions today concerning trade, concerning lots of different subjects.
“We have a tremendous trade relationship with Ireland and we’ll keep it that way. I think it’s going to be expanded very quickly.
“Probably they want to talk a little bit about tariffs, but I won’t mention that – you might want to be discussing that a little bit.”
Asked about President Catherine Connolly’s comments that the United States’ war with Iran is illegal, President Donald Trump said “he [sic] is lucky that I exist”.
Mr Trump added that if Iran had not been stopped, it would have developed a nuclear weapon.
‘Normalisation of war can never be accepted’
In her St Patrick’s Day message, released on Monday, President Connolly could be seen as doubling down.
She said: “The normalisation of war can never be accepted. Now, more than ever, we must renew our commitment to peace and diplomacy in line with the principles of international law as set out in the United Nations Charter.”
President Trump said Ireland can address a “tremendous” trade imbalance with the US by buying American liquified natural gas (LNG).
Mr Trump said Ireland had “better do something” to bring the trade deficit down.
Speaking at the Friends of Ireland Luncheon for St Patrick’s Day at the US Capitol Building, Mr Trump said: “We have a tremendous deficit, by the way. I looked at the numbers.
“You guys are much better business people than our past politicians.”
Turning to the taoiseach, he added: “We have to talk about that deficit – are we allowed to talk about that today?”
Mr Trump referenced the more than six billion dollars being invested into the US by Irish companies, before adding: “And I’m hopeful that we’ll soon reach a deal to sell American liquefied natural gas – and that’ll bring down your deficit a lot – so I think you have to make this deal with us, you better do something.
“But these companies are going to be fuelling your homes and factories and all of the other things.
“We got a lot of, we have a lot of energy in this country. We have more than anybody, most energy of any country in the world, by far.
“So we want to sell a little to you, and the deficit will come down, down, down, and everybody’s going to be happy.
“So you gotta buy a lot of our stuff.”
Taoiseach holds his tongue at grovel-and-grin-fest
SUZANNE BREEN, Belfast Telegraph, March 18th, 2026
It was another grovel-and-grin-fest as Micheal Martin kept his head down and stood up for neither international law nor peace in the Oval Office on St Patrick's Day.
With Donald Trump's imperialist outlook in full view, the Taoiseach's lips remained firmly sealed as his host's rambling rhetoric touched on Iran, Cuba, and much more.
An observer would never have guessed that Martin represents a nation which holds very different views to the US President on international issues. “It's a great honour to have Taoiseach Martin — somebody that we know we get along with. We've had a very good relationship,” Trump said.
The room was packed with journalists shouting their questions at him. He was asked about Irish President Catherine Connolly's criticism of the Iran war.
He didn't appear to even know who she was, referring to her as a man.
“Look, he's lucky I exist. That's all I can say. Everybody in the whole world should be very thankful,” Trump said.
The Taoiseach did not set the record straight by pointing out Connolly's gender. While he may not have interjected on the Irish President's part, he did muster the courage to defend the British Prime Minister. Trump pointed to a bronze bust of Winston Churchill to undermine the incumbent in No.10. He said the UK-US relationship was “always the best” until “Keir came along” and wasn't helpful enough regarding Iran.
Martin managed to find his tongue on this one. “I do believe that he is a very earnest, sound person who I think you have the capacity to get on with and you've got on with before,” Martin said.
Standing up for the man in Downing Street is clearly more important than doing the same for the woman in Áras an Uachtaráin.
Referring to Iran, the Taoiseach said the world couldn't have a “rogue state” with nuclear weapons. He referenced the Irish peace process, and everybody's “hearts go out” to the long oppressed Iranian people.
The impression created was that Ireland had no problem with the US attack on Iran. When asked if he was worried that a ground invasion of Iran would be a repeat of the Vietnam, Trump said: “I'm really not afraid of anything.”
He said he would try to be at the Irish Open this year when it is hosted at his Doonbeg course. “Everybody wants me to be there. It was a great honour to be chosen. They only choose the best courses in the world for the big open,” he said.
If he visits, unofficial Ireland's welcome is likely to be very different to the Taoiseach's. Some 230 miles away from the White House celebrations, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted a St Patrick's Day event with former Irish President Mary Robinson among the guests.
He recalled how Irish immigrants were discriminated against when they first arrived in the city, but they “banded together, they organised” and formed labour movements.
Mamdani recalled the Irish struggle against colonialism at home. Ireland's “solidarity with Palestine” was not coincidental. “Who can better understand those who weep than those who have been made to weep for so long,” he added.
Martin came out of Oval Office cauldron, with respect intact
Taoiseach expertly bats away Trump barbs on UK, EU and immigration, Mary Regan in the oval office.
MARY REGAN, Irish Independent, March 18th, 2026
The Oval Office is a political cauldron like no other.
Hot, heaving and heavy with uncertainty about what will happen next.
Politicians, strategists, diplomats and journalists were packed tightly alongside one another, each trying to navigate through the obscurity to execute their own distinct plan.
In a room where tension weighs heavier than the gold-plated picture frames and gilded urns that adorn Donald Trump's mantelpiece, it is survival of the fittest.
The one person who wasn't feeling the heat was the person who should have felt it most.
Micheál Martin sunk back in his gold upholstered armchair, legs crossed, face smiling and unruffled. Facing him was not just the US president - but JD Vance, Marco Rubio and his other henchmen.
All with an identical rigid posture with their hands clasped tightly, leaning forward and expressions stern.
Just as he did last year, the Taoiseach allowed Trump to steal the show.
It started off fairly light, with the US president speaking about his golf course in Doonbeg, Co Clare, which will host the Irish Open in September, which he hopes to attend: "We will try, we will try.”
The president praised the "tremendous trade relationship” between the US and Ireland. He joked that "we are not going to bring up tariffs” as though that was the only elephant in the room.
The Irish were mere onlookers as Trump justified his war in Iran, saying they "would have hit Europe” with nuclear weapons, "maybe not Ireland, but Europe”.
He spoke about the decision by Nato partners to not answer his call for help to free up the Strait of Hormuz oil route in Iran. "We helped them and they didn't help us and that is a very bad thing for Nato,” he said.
There were questions from US journalists over his plans to visit China in the coming weeks - despite speculation that the trip will be cancelled.
Trump commanded the whole show, and the Taoiseach was happy to let him at it. Until, that is, he came in heavy on the Taoiseach's other friends. First, Trump came for Emmanuel Macron: "He's going to lose.”
Saving Keir
Then came the theatrical crescendo when he came for the British prime minister Keir Starmer with far more gusto than he had in the past.
"You see that man right there?” he asked, pointing to a bust behind him. "The late, great Winston Churchill.
"Barack Hussein Obama did not want that bust in the office. Did you know that? Barack Hussein Obama sent that bust back to England and when I came in, they asked if I wanted it and I said 'absolutely'. And I put it right there. Winston Churchill. And Keir is not Winston Churchill.”
The Taoiseach had been sitting back, but knew he could not let this pass. "Could I just ... sorry…” Martin attempted to cut through the chorus of questions being shouted. "Sorry…” he sat forward and put his lámha suas.
"Hold it!” Trump snapped at the reporters and allowed the Taoiseach to speak.
"Just can I make a number of points,” Martin said in a clear contrast of style.
"Notwithstanding what has happened, the transatlantic relationship between Europe and the US is very, very important.
"Churchill was a great wartime leader - although in Ireland there was kind of a different perspective on him during the War of Independence.
"Keir Starmer has done a lot to reset the Irish-British relationship. I just want to put that on the record. But I do believe that he is a very earnest, sound person.”
Just as Ireland had shouted on England to try to help us bring home the Six Nations trophy last weekend, here was Ireland putting in a gallant effort for the British in the Oval Office on St Patrick's Day.
The Taoiseach pushed back, too, against Trump's criticism of Europe - which the US president warned might not be around for very long because of its policies on immigration and energy.
Defending Europe
"Europe is still a very good place to live in,” the Taoiseach said light-heartedly.
"In Ireland our population is growing in a very positive way and our economy is going very well because we are attracting a lot of people from Europe and beyond to work,” he added, before suggesting a "legal pathway” for Irish people to work in the US - something that Trump nodded at.
This was a meeting that tested Micheál Martin's political and diplomacy skills to their limits.
The Fianna Fáil veteran managed to pull off the near impossible feat of avoiding getting into any confrontation with Trump, while also pushing back against the US president's attacks on the EU and UK.
Martin also managed to raise more by way of touchy subjects than many back home expected, even if it was not as much as some had hoped for.
In a political boiling pot that is all about survival of the fittest, Micheál Martin came out alive - and with alliances on both sides of the Atlantic intact.
First Minister ‘wrong’ to stay away from Washington DC, Lyons says
By Rebecca Black, Press Association in Washington DC, Belfast Telegraph, March 17th, 2026
Northern Ireland Communities Minister Gordon Lyons during the Ireland Funds National Gala at the National Building Museum in Washington DC, during his visit to the US for St Patrick's Day.
Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill and other party leaders are "wrong" to have stayed away from Washington DC on St Patrick's Day , Stormont's Communities Minister said.
Gordon Lyons expressed pride in deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly leading a Northern Ireland delegation in Ms O'Neill's absence.
Traditionally, political leaders from across the island of Ireland have taken part in events in the United States for the national saint's day.
Ms O'Neill and her Sinn Fein colleagues are boycotting events for a second year in a row in protest at US policy towards Gaza .
Mr Lyons told Press Association that leaders "need to show up" for Northern Ireland .
"The First Minister has refused to attend, other political leaders have refused to attend, I think that is wrong, I think that we need to show up," he said.
"I have been doing this for a number of years, I don't agree with everything that every incumbent in the White House says or does. I came along when Joe Biden was in office, I certainly didn't agree with everything that he was doing either, but I come because it is important to engage with the US administration."
Gordon Lyons: Deep historical links between Northern Ireland and the US endure t...
Alliance leader Naomi Long and SDLP leader Claire Hanna have also stayed away.
Education Minister Paul Givan and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt , as well as Secretary of State Hilary Benn , UUP leader Jon Burrows and PSNI chief constable Jon Burrows have also travelled to the US capital this week.
Mr Lyons said: "More than that, it's not just about the US administration, it's about the House of Representatives, the Senate, the business leaders, culture leaders, forging new relationships and new connections. That is so important.
"I was just speaking to someone else from Northern Ireland who was saying it is such a shame that we don't have a united political front on this, because this is such a key opportunity, meeting after meeting, event after event where we can say, 'we're from Northern Ireland , we're proud to be from Northern Ireland , we want to tell you about Northern Ireland '.
"Even if you disagree with the views of the current president of the United States , that shouldn't stop you coming along here and standing up for Northern Ireland ."
He added: "It's a dereliction of duty on the behalf of Michelle O'Neill as the so-called First Minister for all, regardless, we have Emma Little-Pengelly who has demonstrated what it truly means to stand up and speak up for the people of Northern Ireland , and we're very proud to have her here leading this delegation.
"I will be more than happy to have someone like the President or the Vice President of the United States come to Northern Ireland , because that puts a spotlight on us," he said.
" Emma Little-Pengelly will be meeting him (President Donald Trump ) on Tuesday, and that puts a spotlight on Northern Ireland , and that can only be a good thing, so I want to see more of that engagement.
"I think there needs to be more of that done in the future as well. I'm happy that we're here this week, and that will be to the benefit of people back home."
Mr Lyons is set to attend the annual St Patrick's Day breakfast hosted by the Northern Ireland Bureau on Tuesday, before attending the Friends of Ireland Luncheon at the US Capitol.
He will later attend the Shamrock Ceremony at the White House.
"I'll also be meeting with representatives on the hill, and I think it is important that we engage, and that we tell that Northern Ireland story, and about who we are," he said.
"On St Patrick's Day people are interested in Northern Ireland so I want to make sure that we give that flavour of Northern Ireland ."
On Wednesday, Mr Lyons will co-host an event with the America 250 commission at the US Capitol around the Ulster-American story.
The event aims to introduce a"new audience" to the region, and the people from Ulster who made a significant impact, including John Dunlap from Co Tyrone , who printed the Declaration of Independence.
"There hasn't been a Northern Ireland -focused event like this, other than the bureau breakfast, and I'm delighted that through this work that we've been leading over the last couple of years, we will have that spotlight on Northern Ireland ."
£132k legal bill for Stormont's row over teaching of RE in schools
ANDREW MADDEN, Belfast Telegraph, March 18th, 2026
LEGAL FEES SPEND REVEALED AFTER COURT RULED CHRISTIANITY FOCUS WAS UNLAWFUL
Stormont's Department of Education spent more than £130k on a legal battle that ultimately found Christian-focused RE taught in schools is unlawful.
In 2022 the High Court ruled the primary school curriculum breaches human rights laws as it does not approach the subject in an “objective, critical and pluralist” manner.
The case was brought against the department on behalf of a seven-year-old girl at a Belfast school, who was described as being from a non-religious family.
It was argued primary schools' focus on Christianity in RE and collective worship to the exclusion of other faiths breached the European Convention on Human Rights.
The pupil's parents had concerns she could adopt a specific worldview through the way RE is taught. The department lodged an appeal, which was successful.
However, the case then went to the UK Supreme Court, which backed the original decision.
Now it has emerged the department spent £131,712 on legal fees appealing the High Court ruling and on the subsequent Supreme Court case, with Education Minister Paul Givan saying: “Further costs are expected, but not yet confirmed.”
Alliance Party education spokesperson Michelle Guy said: “Taking legal action to challenge decisions is an important part of any democracy. The decision to pursue or defend actions is for the minister to take.
“Given the budget crisis within education, transparency around these costs is essential.
“However, the same minister who has been critical of members of the public for taking cases on integrated education and the RAISE programme, has pushed his own department to take a case on religious education all the way to the Supreme Court.”
Last year the High Court dismissed a legal challenge brought against Mr Givan's decision to block two schools in North Down from gaining integrated status. A separate challenge over alleged discrimination relating to the RAISE programme on tackling educational underachievement was also dismissed.
Ms Guy added: “If Mr Givan believes legal action is justified to get clarity from the courts, he should respect the right of others to do the same, especially when judges have already agreed those cases deserve to be heard.”
Last month Mr Givan issued a response to the RE Supreme Court ruling, stating Christianity would remain the “central tenet” in RE teaching, but the syllabus would change to include other main religious and philosophical traditions.
A review of the RE curriculum is being led by Professor Noel Purdy, director of research and scholarship at Stranmillis University College, and Joyce Logue, former principal of Long Tower Primary School.
Mr Givan said the review will be “an opportunity to strengthen RE as an academic discipline”.
“Christianity will remain central to the syllabus,” he added.
“Given our historical, cultural and legal foundations, it is right that Christianity continues to provide the core focus for RE in Northern Ireland.”
Unionists out in force in Washington DC
By Ben Lowry, Belfast News Letter, March 18th, 2026
Unionists were out in force in Washington DC as nationalists once again snubbed the traditional St Patrick’s Day celebrations.
All the main Stormont unionist ministers were present in America's capital city, starting with a Northern Ireland Bureau breakfast and culminating in a lunch in the US congressional building attended by President Donald Trump.
Emma Little-Pengelly, Northern Ireland’s deputy first minster, led the delegation from the province, getting laughs and some cheers when she joked at the breakfast at Union Station that this year the politicians who considered themselves most Irish were absent but plenty of unionists were in attendance.
Richard Cushnie, head of the NI Bureau, referred to the US secretary of state Marco Rubio's praise of the “proud and hearty” Ulster folk.
Mike Nesbitt, the UUP health minister and ex-party leader, said this year was a reversal of 1994 when unionists snubbed Washington over Gerry Adams getting a visa.
Speaking to the News Letter in the US capital, Mr Nesbitt said his first visit to the city was in 1994, having been in New York where the National Committee on American Foreign Policy were having a conference in Northern Ireland.
“They wanted the five main leaders from the parties in Northern Ireland there. They had John Hume, John Alderdice, Ian Paisley and Jim Molyneaux. They couldn't get Gerry Adams without Bill Clinton giving him a visa – against the advice of the security people.
“But when Adams got the visa, Paisley and Molyneaux not only refused to appear at the conference, they cancelled their flights, boycotted the United States. And now, in 2026, the wheel has turned full circle and it's Irish republicanism who are doing the boycotting,” he said.
DUP ministers Gordon Lyons and Paul Givan were also there, alongside other prominent unionists in the assembly such as Ulster Unionist leader Jon Burrows and MLA Jonathan Buckley. Edwin Poots was in attendance, in his role as the speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Speaking after the NI Bureau breakfast, the deputy first minister said it was “great to see such a big turnout” with over 300 people in attendance.
“Everybody was really buzzing, really enthusiastic about Northern Ireland”, she said, as she left for a lunch with Speaker Johnson, the US president, the Irish prime minister and others.
First Minister Michelle O’Neill – who is boycotting the events in Washington – celebrated St Patrick’s Day with the rural community of Kinturk on the shores of Lough Neagh. She said the day is “celebrated across the world and brings communities together”.
In the morning, Irish prime minister Micheal Martin met US vice president JD Vance, ahead of a later meeting with President Trump in the evening. Emma Little-Pengelly was scheduled to have a meeting with the President in the White House later in the day.
