Trump Ireland visit live: No 10 responds to Trump’s support for united Ireland

Irish President Catherine Connolly said she “conveyed the strong view of the Irish people that the normalisation of war and genocide can never be accepted” in a meeting with Donald Trump.

In a statement following the meeting at Áras an Uachtaráin, Ms Connolly said: “As president of Ireland, I am very conscious that Ireland and the United States of America are bound by strong ties. This is a deep connection, built over centuries, which allows us to speak openly to one another.

“We are in a world facing the existential threat posed by war and climate change, both of which are inextricably interlinked.

“I conveyed the strong view of the Irish people that the normalisation of war and genocide can never be accepted.

“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.

“I highlighted to President Trump the strong commitment which the Irish people have to international relations, to the importance of the United Nations, including 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.

“I assured President 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.”

To mark the courtesy call, Ms Connolly gifted Mr 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.