Irish President Connolly details Trump talks on unity and defends sister's right to protest

Meeting at Áras an Uachtaráin

President Catherine Connolly spoke publicly on 17 September 2026 regarding her 20-minute meeting with US President Donald Trump during his visit to Ireland. Speaking to reporters in Glasgow during an official visit to Scotland, Connolly described the encounter at Áras an Uachtaráin as polite and focused on constitutional affairs. Trump asked Connolly directly whether she believed Irish unity would be resolved in her lifetime, to which she responded that she hoped it would. Connolly noted that Trump made a lighthearted joke about age, but she referred repeatedly to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and the requirement for democratic consent set out in the Irish Constitution. The two leaders also discussed the conflict in Gaza, with Connolly stating that the international community cannot accept genocide or the normalisation of war.

“He asked me specifically, would it be resolved during my lifetime? And I said I hoped it would.”

Demonstrations and sister's remarks

Connolly also addressed public scrutiny surrounding her sister, Dr Margaret Connolly, who joined demonstrations opposing Trump's visit. In a broadcast interview with CNN during the protests, Dr Connolly called for rubble from Gaza to be transported to the White House. President Connolly stated that while she might have chosen different words, she defended her sister's right to assemble and understood the horror motivating the statement. Taoiseach Micheál Martin similarly affirmed that citizens retain the right to peaceful protest. In County Clare, demonstrators gathered near Trump's golf resort in Doonbeg during the Irish Open, where unarmed gardaí monitored attendees and passing buses. Historian Catherine Corless also voiced frustration over crowds in Doonbeg cheering for the US president.

Diplomatic policy and European security

During her engagements in Scotland, Connolly commented on broader foreign policy matters, specifically European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's proposal for a European Security Council. The proposed body would coordinate defence ties between the European Union and international partners such as Canada, Britain, and Norway. Connolly voiced misgivings regarding the proposal, noting that political discussions across Europe have increasingly focused on rearmament rather than diplomatic resolution. The comments followed a private dinner on 16 September 2026 hosted by Britain's King Charles, which preceded Connolly's meetings with local leaders and civic groups in Glasgow.

“I would have concern that the language in relation to war is intensifying, and the absence of diplomatic measures to stop war and to bring peace is of deep concern to me, and I'd say the majority of people in Ireland.”

Diaspora engagements and constitutional debates

Connolly concluded her Scottish schedule with community events in Glasgow and Coatbridge. In Coatbridge, known historically as Little Ireland after census records showed one quarter of the local population was Irish-born by 1851, the president spoke at a parish hall on the enduring contributions of immigrant communities. At Glasgow City Chambers, Connolly met secondary school students, including 15-year-old Crystal Brakoa and 14-year-old Leah Caldwell, to discuss anti-racism initiatives. Meanwhile, Trump's public assertion that a united Ireland would be fantastic and is bound to happen caused political reverberations in Dublin and London. Scottish First Minister John Swinney commented that the principle of self-determination remains fundamental for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.