President cancels visit to Shankill

The President, Mrs McAleese has cancelled plans to visit the Shankill Road in Belfast this week.

The President, Mrs McAleese has cancelled plans to visit the Shankill Road in Belfast this week.

However, the President will still travel to Belfast to meet staff and patients at Belfast City Hospital; deliver the O'Connell Lecture at St Malachy's College; and visit the Hannahstown area in West Belfast.

Mrs McAleese became involved in controversy on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz when she likened Nazi hatred of Jews to the way in which Protestant parents had instilled a distrust for Catholics in their children.

She later apologised for her comments, saying they had been worded "clumsily".

READ MORE

However, she was still urged to postpone her planned visit to the loyalist Shankill area because of continuing ill-feeling over the comments.

Ulster Unionist politicians had encouraged her to postpone a planned meeting with staff and pupils at a primary school on Thursday.

Additional reporting: PA

Alison Healy

Alison Healy

Alison Healy is a contributor to The Irish Times