News

Visit sends message of 'support and solidarity'

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness shakes hands with Prince Charles outside St Patricks Church in Donegall Street, Belfast Picture Mal McCann.
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness shakes hands with Prince Charles outside St Patricks Church in Donegall Street, Belfast Picture Mal McCann. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness shakes hands with Prince Charles outside St Patricks Church in Donegall Street, Belfast Picture Mal McCann.

FATHER Michael Sheehan admitted yesterday he is prepared for criticism from his own congregation following the visit of the next British monarch to his church.

"You can't please everyone," he said after what was hailed as a very successful cross-community event at St Patrick's in Belfast city centre.

The Donegall Street church has become a focus of bitter division in recent years, sparked by a loyalist band playing a sectarian song while marching in a circle outside during the 2012 Twelfth of July celebrations.

The bandsmen, who were accompanying the Orange Order, played the tune of the Beach Boys Sloop John B which is used for the anti-Catholic lyrics of the 'Famine Song'.

After this, the church - built 200 years ago during the `golden age' of Irish liberalism with a third of its funding coming from the Protestant community - became a sectarian flashpoint during each marching season.

Thirteen bandsmen were found guilty last month of breaching the original Parades Commission determination and hopes have been expressed that the show of support from Prince Charles and presence of DUP leader Peter Robinson and senior Protestant clergy can help to stimulate reconciliation and healing.

"It sends a message of support and solidarity," Fr Sheehan said of the prince's attendance.

"Hopefully it's a small step forward. Some people will be willing to follow that step, others may not yet be willing to follow that step on that journey, and others might never follow that step.

"But I think it's a step toward reconciliation and an acknowledgement of both pain and suffering on both sides of our community."

Fr Sheehan said "standing with solidarity" was a "very positive message coming from the prince".

However, divisions were still very much in evidence, with a small group, including relatives of those killed in 1971 by paratroopers in Ballymurphy, west Belfast, protesting close to the church.

Prince Charles is colonel-in-chief of the Parachute Regiment, and one of the royalists gathered outside to welcome him waved its flag.

There has been criticism of Sinn Féin for meeting the royal during a series of official engagements this week.

Yesterday, deputy first minister Martin McGuinness followed party president Gerry Adams and shook hands with the prince.

Afterwards, he defended his actions as that of a "political leader".

"Peacemaking is very difficult but if we are serious about peace and reconciliation, I think we all have to recognise there is a need to rise above old enmities. That is absolutely essential," he said.

"There is a lot of focus in the course of this visit on the past but I think the visit also focuses everybody on the need to move forward to a better future.

"If we are to move forward to build a better future for our children, who are the most important people in all of this, then I think we do have to rise above old enmities, and whenever people make the effort to be part of a reconciliation process, then I think we have to welcome that."

First Minister Peter Robinson, who put his name to an open letter in 2012 criticising restrictions on bands parading past St Patrick's Church, also said Buckingham Palace had shown "great leadership".