Irish President Concludes Official Visit in Leeds
Irish President Catherine Connolly has concluded her inaugural official visit to Great Britain, which took place in Leeds.
Visit to University of Leeds
On Wednesday morning, President Connolly visited the University of Leeds, where she had previously studied for two years to earn her Masters degree in Clinical Psychology, according to Irish broadcaster RTÉ.
During her visit, archivists presented her with several artefacts connected to Ireland held within the university's collections. Among these was a very rare first edition of Dracula. The university possesses an extensive collection of Bram Stoker’s letters from his tenure as a theatre manager.
Additional artefacts shown to the President included miniature books created by the Brontë sisters, whose father originated from County Down, as well as an early edition of Station Island by Seamus Heaney, which featured annotations and revisions by the author himself.
Address at the Leeds Irish Centre
At the Leeds Irish Centre, President Connolly commended the contributions of Irish nurses within the National Health Service (NHS).
In her speech, she highlighted the significant impact Irish emigrants have had in Britain, with particular emphasis on women, especially those employed in the NHS.
Community Reactions to the Visit
Members of the Irish community who met with the President expressed that visits of this nature hold great importance.
"It's very nice that she came here today.
We have a very active Irish community in Leeds, and it's really, really nice that that's recognised, especially for the second-generation Irish.
I think it's lovely that is recognised, particularly on behalf of our parents, who have been a keystone in establishing the Irish Centre, and keeping it going over the years," said Yvonne Byrne, whose 100-year-old mother Vera received a card from the President on her birthday earlier this year.
President Connolly acknowledged that during her student years she had not visited the Irish Centre, which was founded in 1971, but expressed her pleasure at having done so during this visit.
John Hourigan from Leeds remarked on the significance of the visit, stating:
"I was fortunate to be here for Mary Robinson, Mary McAleese, and now President Connolly.
It's just phenomenal for what it brings to the Irish community in Leeds, and it shows that the support from Ireland is there, and it's not that we're just lone rangers paddling our own canoe.
We're getting the support, and as I said to the President, I thanked her for coming to Leeds, because it'll mean so much for the Irish Centre," he said.
