O’Neill says criticism of her Remembrance Sunday attendance ‘difficult to hear’

The Sinn Fein vice president said she was determined to live up to her pledge to be a ‘First Minister for all’.

First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle O’Neill (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire)

Stormont’s First Minister has acknowledged it has been “difficult to hear” fellow republicans criticise her participation in the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at Belfast City Hall.

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill’s comments came after a banner with the word “Traitors” on it was erected at her constituency office in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, at the weekend.

Ms O’Neill broke new ground for her party by attending the event commemorating fallen members of the UK armed forces at the Cenotaph in Belfast, where she laid a laurel wreath.

However, she has faced criticism from some people in the republican and nationalist community.

More than 100 relatives of IRA members and civilians killed by the security forces and loyalists during the Troubles signed a public statement, published in the Irish News, expressing “devastation” at her decision to attend.

Ms O’Neill was asked about the letter at a post-Executive press conference on Monday morning.

“Of course, it is difficult to hear that, particularly from people who I know all of my life, but I also absolutely accept that they’re entitled to feel how they feel, particularly if they’ve lost a loved one,” she said.

“So I accept and understand exactly where people are coming from.

People are entitled to express their view, and I can accept where they're coming from, but I also have a role to play, and I'm determined to keep driving us forward

Michelle O'Neill

“However, I can’t be distracted from the role that I play. I want to drive our society forward. I want to build a shared future.

“I want to take as many people with us on that journey as we possibly can, but I’ve committed to being a First Minister for all, and I will live up to that at every turn.”

Asked if it was difficult to be called a traitor, she added: “Look, people are entitled to express their view, and I can accept where they’re coming from, but I also have a role to play, and I’m determined to keep driving us forward.”

Ms O’Neill did not attend an Armistice commemoration at Parliament Buildings in Stormont on Monday morning, telling reporters she was not available.

The party’s national chairman Declan Kearney and chief whip at the Assembly Sinead Ennis did attend.

However, unlike all the other main parties in the devolved legislature, they did not lay a wreath at a memorial inside the building in a secondary event after the main commemoration.

The First Minister attended Sunday’s ceremony alongside DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly. Afterwards, Ms Little-Pengelly insisted the focus should be on remembrance rather than who attended.

On Monday, Ms O’Neill fielded questions on the issue as she faced the media at Stormont Castle in Belfast.

“I understand that some people have difficulties, particularly republicans, have difficulties with me attending yesterday’s remembrance event, and I accept that, it’s understandable from their perspective, particularly given those that have lost loved ones,” she said.

“So they’re entitled to express their view. However, I have a role to play in terms of being First Minister for everybody here, and I think that me attending the remembrance event yesterday was the right thing to do in terms of representing everybody fairly in society, and also to acknowledge the fact that so many people have lost a loved one, whether it be in the First World War or in subsequent conflicts.

“So it was important for me, as First Minister, to be there.”