A SISTER of President Catherine Connolly told CNN that the White House should be ‘flattened’ on the same day she met with Donald Trump at Áras an Uachtaráin.
asserted
she → tell → Uachtaráin
Outspoken activist Dr Margaret Connolly made the comments as she participated in a protest opposing Mr Trump, and the role of the US in the conflict in Gaza, in Dublin on Saturday - the first day of the US president’s visit to Ireland.
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she → make → Ireland
Dr Connolly – who was previously detained by Israel after attempting to reach Gaza on an aid flotilla – was filmed by the American news network CNN saying of Mr Trump: ‘You are murdering and slaughtering and causing a genocide.
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You → detain → genocide
That same day, Mr Trump met with President Connolly at the Áras, before holding a bilateral meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin at Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park.
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Trump → meet → Park
The US president later travelled to his Doonbeg golf course in Co. Clare to watch the Irish Open, which was won by Offaly’s Shane Lowry.
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which → travel → Lowry
Catherine Connolly's sister Dr Margaret Connolly speaks on CNN
The visit was largely hailed as a triumph by the Government with Mr Trump promising to help get Irish aid into Gaza and later announcing that he would lift tariffs on Irish whiskey.
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he → speak → whiskey
After their meeting, President Connolly said she raised the issue of Gaza with Mr Trump, saying she conveyed ‘the strong view of the Irish people that the normalisation of war and genocide can never be accepted’.
But the inflammatory comments from Dr Margaret Connolly threaten to undermine the diplomatic successes.
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comments → say → successes
The White House did not include any pictures or video footage of his meeting with President Connolly in a video shared on the official X account of the administration.
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House → include → administration
Speaking about the White House official video of Mr Trump’s trip to Ireland, one source said the meeting was a ‘courtesy call’ with President Connolly, and they pointed out that the press covered President Trump’s arrival to the residence.
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press → speak → residence
A spokesman for Mr Trump said they had no comment to make on the matter.
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they → say → matter
Catherine Connolly shakes hands with her US counterpart
Mr Trump’s visit to Ireland was met with protests in Dublin, Shannon and Doonbeg.
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visit → shake → Dublin
Multiple American media outlets, including CNN, travelled to Dublin to cover the visit and the associated protests.
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outlets → include → visit
The video featuring Dr Connolly, which was shared on TikTok and other social media channels by CNN, does not identify her as the sister of President Connolly.
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which → feature → Connolly
The Mail tried to contact Dr Connolly via her surgery in Sligo.
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Mail → try → Sligo
However, when we identified ourselves, the person at the end of the line said: ‘The Irish Daily Mail, no thank you,’ and hung up.
Follow-up queries asking whether she had identified herself as the sister of the President or had told her sister she had spoken to CNN went unanswered.
The Mail also contacted CNN to ask if Dr Connolly had identified herself as the sister of the President.
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Connolly → identify → President
The office of the President was also contacted for comment, as was the Department of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy in Dublin.
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Department → contact → Dublin
Dr Connolly appeared to make the comments on Saturday at the protest in Dublin, only hours after her sister met with President Trump at the Áras.
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sister → appear → Áras
Dr Connolly is a GP based in Sligo who has worked in general practice for more than four decades.
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who → base → decades
President Connolly had a 20-minute meeting with the US president at Áras an Uachtaráin soon after his arrival in Ireland on Saturday morning.
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Connolly → have → morning
Sources said there were no fireworks between the pair.
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Sources → say → pair
In a statement issued after the meeting, which was attended by members of both the US and Irish delegations but no media, Ms Connolly said: ‘As President of Ireland, I am very conscious that Ireland and the United States of America are bound by strong ties.
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Ireland → issue → ties
‘This is a deep connection, built over centuries, which allows us to speak openly to one another.
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us → build → one
We are in a world facing the existential threat posed by war and climate change, both of which are inextricably interlinked.
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both → face → which
‘I conveyed the strong view of the Irish people that the normalisation of war and genocide can never be accepted.
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normalisation → convey → war
As a country which has suffered famine, colonisation and the violence of the Troubles, but also the importance of the long and challenging road to peace, I emphasised the unique insight which Irish people can bring to the resolution of conflict.’
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people → suffer → conflict
Ms Connolly also said she highlighted to Mr Trump the strong commitment which the Irish people have to the importance of the UN.
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people → say → UN
She said this ‘included the pride which Irish people feel in Ireland’s contribution to UN peacekeeping since 1958, and to the obligations contained within Article 29 of our Constitution towards the peaceful resolution of international disputes’.
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people → say → disputes
The President continued that she had assured Mr Trump that ‘the Irish people would strongly support all those who have the strength to build a shared peace in all those parts of the world currently suffering from such horrific war and violence’.
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who → continue → war
Mr Trump didn’t answer any questions as to what was discussed during their meeting.
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what → answer → meeting
At a press conference with the Taoiseach at Farmleigh House after the Áras sit-down, Mr Trump said there had been ‘a very nice meeting’ with Ms Connolly, adding it was ‘a very respectful meeting.’
Pressed as to the nature of the conversation, Mr Trump asked his chief of protocol, Monica Crowley, to fill everyone in.
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Trump → say → everyone
‘The president had a very constructive conversation with President Connolly today about a whole range of issues including energy and European supplies of energy,’ she said.
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she → have → energy
Mr Trump stressed, however, that he thought the President was ‘terrific, it was quite pleasant, we talked about a lot of things’.
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we → stress → things
One of the major talking points from the US president’s visit was his support for Irish unification and our sister paper the Irish Mail on Sunday revealed that it was Mr Trump who first raised the topic with President Connolly.
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who → reveal → Connolly
He asked her how ‘the merger’ was going within minutes of their behind-closed-doors chat starting.
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chat → ask → doors
He later told a joint press conference with the Taoiseach that he would ‘love’ it if the North and the Republic were to reunite.
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North → tell → it
Catherine Connolly after being detained by Israeli forces in May
President Connolly gave President Trump a St Brigid’s Cross, a copy of the book Navigatio Sancti Brendani – The Voyage Of St Brendan, and the collected poems of Michael Longley, including his sonnet Ceasefire.
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Connolly → detain → sonnet
Dr Connolly established her own GP practice in Sligo in 1992.
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Connolly → establish → 1992
She is originally from Galway city and grew up in Shantalla with 13 siblings, including President Connolly.
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She → grow → Connolly
She was one of hundreds of activists detained by Israel earlier this year as they attempted to reach Gaza as part of an aid flotilla.
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they → detain → flotilla
She was eventually returned home after a number of days.
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She → return → days
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
