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Irish president finishes first official visit to GB

News imagePA Media Irish president Catherine Connolly during a visit to Leeds University, as part of her official visit to the UK. She has short white hair and wearing a cream cardigan. A man with dark grey hair, wearing a dark grey suit is beside herPA Media
On Wednesday morning, Catherine Connolly visited the University of Leeds, where she had studied for two years to obtain her Masters in Clinical Psychology degree

Irish President Catherine Connolly has ended her first official visit to Great Britain in Leeds.

On Wednesday morning, she visited the University of Leeds, where she had studied for two years to obtain her Masters in Clinical Psychology degree.

Some Irish connected artefacts from the university's collections were shown to Connolly by archivists, including a very rare first edition of Dracula - the university holds a big collection of Bram Stoker's letters from his time as a theatre manager.

At the Leeds Irish Centre, she praised the work of Irish nurses in the NHS.

Other artifices presented to her were some miniature books made by the Bronte sisters, whose father came from County Down, and an early edition of "Station Island" by Seamus Heaney, annotated and changed by the author.

News imagePA Media Irish president Catherine Connolly during a visit to Leeds University, as part of her official visit to the UK. She has short white hair wearing glasses and a cream cardigan. She is leaning over a table looking at a large open book. Other people are around her.PA Media
Some Irish connected artefacts from the university's collections were shown to Connolly by archivists

In her speech at the Leeds Irish Centre, Connolly spoke of the contribution Irish emigrants had made to Britain, especially women - particularly those who had worked in the NHS.

Members of the community who met the president said visits like this meant a lot.

Yvonne Byrne, whose 100-year-old mother Vera received a card from the president on her birthday earlier this year, said: "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."

News imagePA Media Irish president Catherine Connolly speaks during a visit to the Leeds Irish Centre, as part of her official visit to the UK. She has short white hair wearing glasses and a pink tweed jacket. She is standing at a podium giving a speech.PA Media
In her speech at the Leeds Irish Centre, Connolly spoke of the contribution Irish emigrants had made to Britain, particularly those who had worked in the NHS

Connolly admitted that during her student years she had not visited the Irish Centre, which was founded in 1971, but said she was very glad she had done so now.

John Hourigan from Leeds said: "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.

Freya McCaughley, 19, is the incoming president of the Irish Dancing Society at the university's student union and was among those who met with Connolly.

"She was really lovely and friendly and was really keen to know about what we get up to in Irish dancing," she said.

"I think she was quite surprised when we told her we have 50 members."

Matty Walsh, 28, a Leeds University Union sport manager, said he "jumped" at the opportunity to meet the president.

"My grandparents would be so proud to see me stood in the Great Hall of the place where I came to university and got my degree shaking hands with the president," he said.

Walsh said he spoke to Connolly about the president's memories of running around parks in Headingley.

As part of his role at the union, Walsh told Connolly about the Gaelic football society he was establishing.

"She thought it was a brilliant idea and wished me good luck with it," he said.

News imageSofía Luis-Hobbs/BBC Two women and a man smile at the camera in front of a brick building. Both women are stood to either side of the man and both wear matching green tshirts. The man wears a navy overcoat.Sofía Luis-Hobbs/BBC
(From left) Freya McCaughley, Matty Walsh and Roseanna O'Hanlon met the president in Leeds

Roseanna O'Hanlon, 19, is a committee member for the Irish Dancing Society and said meeting the president was "really special".

"I know that my grandpa would be really proud if he saw that I was in a room with the president, so I'm really, really proud of that," she said.

The Irish president's trip comes following the detention of her sister, Dr Margaret Connolly.

Dr Connolly was part of an aid flotilla to Gaza which was intercepted in international waters and boarded by Israeli forces on Monday.

The flotilla organisers said 10 boats in a 60-vessel convoy were intercepted.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the raid was "effectively neutralising a malicious plan designed to break the isolation we have imposed on Hamas terrorists in Gaza".

Additional reporting by PA Media