ON Saturday morning Cliona McCarney was getting a hug from US President Barack Obama but on Sunday she was back in Belfast and handing out leaflets for the SDLP in the Belvoir area of south Belfast.
The former Aquinas Grammar pupil said it had been a “whirlwind” after attending the town-hall event in London and getting to ask the first question to Obama.
“I’m part of the Young Leaders UK programme and I got the invite on Thursday. I wasn’t going to go, because I thought it would be so expensive, but I’m glad I did.”
She also said she hadn’t planned to ask a question.
“We were in the front row and as soon as he finished speaking, practically 80 per cent of the hands in the room went up but I didn’t put mine up because I didn’t know what to ask.
“Then I thought, `I might as well’ and about three seconds later, he went `Yeah, right here’ and pointed at me. I was talking about the special relationship between the US and the UK and how that has been very important to Northern Ireland in terms of America supporting the peace process. I asked how would his successor and those who follow on after him continue to foster that.
“It was very interesting that he mentioned integrated education; I think that showed that he has a genuine interest in Northern Ireland. I saw him talk at the Waterfront in Belfast three years ago and I didn’t think anything could top that. On Saturday he shook my hand and gave me this one-armed hug and said `Good luck’. I’m still in a bit of a daze.”
Cliona, who works for the Belfast Trust as a researcher, said other notable names at the event included actor Benedict Cumberbatch and singer Annie Lennox.
She is hoping that Obama’s replacement as US president will be Hillary Clinton and not Donald Trump.
“I think Hillary succeeding Obama would be fantastic for Northern Ireland. A President Trump would be terrifying for a lot of reasons, but I’d be very confident of Hillary’s ability to trump him.”
