North Belfast political representatives met with President Michael D Higgins last week during his first official visit to the North. Sinn Féin MLAs Gerry Kelly and Carál Ní Chuilín met with the president in south Belfast’s Crescent Arts Centre. He also paid a visit to the Wave Trauma Centre just off the Antrim Road to see how victims of the Troubles are being supported.
President Higgins’ predecessor Mary McAleese was born in Ardoyne and continued to encourage her links with the local community throughout her terms as president.
Culture minister Carál Ní Chuilín said she is delighted Michael D Higgins visited the north of the city so early in his presidency.
"I was delighted to meet President Higgins on Friday and it's great to see him visiting North Belfast,” she said.
“Mary McAleese was a frequent and welcome visitor as Irish president and it's great to see President Higgins following in Mary's footsteps so early in his term. We hope that these successful visits continue and that people from North Belfast will visit Aras an Uachtarain regularly as they did during Mary's presidency."
