‘Quite provocative’: Outrage after reporter quizzes Sinn Féin on Irish speech

Leaders of Sinn Féinn Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill, have explained why they opened a press conference speaking Irish, to a reporter who suggested it could cause division.

"I can’t believe that question to be quite honest," laughed O’Neill, before Mcdonald interjected: "You grossly underestimate people’s sense of themselves.

"There are unionist people who are more accomplished Gaeilgeoirí than I am," the President added.

"Let’s not sew any sense of suspicion or division around things that ought to be celebrated...we don’t own the language, far from it."

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