President Catherine Connolly hailed Northern Ireland as a “beacon of light” to the world that “peace is possible” during her first official visit. In a speech at Ulster University Campus in north Belfast, President Connolly acknowledged that across the island of Ireland there are “different aspirations for the future”, and an “unfinished story”. “Northern Ireland, without exaggeration, now represents a beacon of light to a world in how decades-long conflict can be resolved and reconciliation fostered and continued,” President Connolly said. “We will have different perspectives, which are crucial when we have dominant narratives in the world, now more than ever we need different perspectives and, of course, different aspirations for the future, and I want to acknowledge that publicly. The President’s official visit to Northern Ireland will continue on Thursday and Friday with engagements in Derry.

Source: Irish Independent February 05, 2026 14:01 UTC