GERRY ADAMS AND Prince Charles shared a significant handshake this afternoon, as the British royal began a trip to Ireland.
The Sinn Féin leader was one of a number of people to meet and greet the Prince at an event in Galway today.
The meeting is regarded as being historically significant as Earl Mountbatten, a great-uncle of Prince Charles, was killed in an IRA bomb in County Sligo in 1979.
Charles and his wife Camilla are on a four-day visit to Ireland. As part of the trip, they will also visit the village of Mullaghmore – where the IRA attack took place.
Here’s how this afternoon’s moment played out:
Gerry Adams tweeted about it afterwards, but focused more on the ‘historic’ cup of tea Prince Charles was holding at the time.
“Prince Charles is the Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute Regiment,” Adams said in advance of the visit.
The regiment of the British Army, he said, was responsible “for killing of many Irish citizens”.
“But he also has been bereaved by the actions of republicans,” he added.
Thankfully the conflict is over. But there remains unresolved injustices. These must be rectified and a healing process developed.
In an RTÉ radio interview in advance of the handshake, Adams said he planned to express his “regret” over the IRA attack on Earl Mountbatten ”which I have done on many occasions”.
No-one who had experienced the decades-long conflict of the Troubles could have lived through it “without regretting that people were killed”.
Thankfully as I said before, it’s over.
The Prince began his speech at NUI Galway with a few words as Gaeilge.
Tonight, he and Camilla will attend a private dinner with President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina at Louch Cutra in Co Galway.
Originally published 2.18pm
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