Queen’s visit to Ireland could mark the start of a new era, says Gerry Adams

Sinn Féin leader says Queen’s visit offers ‘unique opportunity’ for mutual respect and equality on both sides Gerry Adams, the leader of Sinn Féin, has said that the Queen’s visit to Ireland could mark moves towards a new and better relationship between the country and Britain. His remarks come as an unprecedented security operation gets under way in the Republic to protect the Queen from terrorist attacks or street disorder. The public will be kept back from the royal entourage as it passes along Dublin’s quays, north of the river Liffey and the city’s main thoroughfare, O’Connell Street. Adams, the Sinn Féin president, said the three-day royal tour could provide “a unique opportunity” for mutual respect and equality on both sides of the Irish Sea. His comments, in a column for the Irish Examiner , mark a change in his attitude to the historic visit. He said he had nothing against the Queen but he was opposed to the idea of monarchies in principle. He hoped the visit would hasten the day when a new and better relationship could be formed, but that would depend on what the Queen said. Adams maintained that the visit was troubling for many people and found suggestions that the state visit was an indication that Irish people had matured insulting and patronising. In March, the Sinn Féin president had described the visit as premature. His comments came as security forces on both sides of the border began a clampdown on republican dissidents who have vowed to disrupt the visit. In Northern Ireland, police arrested a man and a woman in Co

Posted by on May 14, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.