Irish president meets John Swinney as visit to Scotland gets under way

Ireland’s President Catherine Connolly has been greeted by John Swinney at his official residence in Edinburgh, as her visit to Scotland begins.

The First Minister was joined by his wife Elizabeth Quigley as he met Ms Connolly and her husband Brian McEnery outside Bute House.

They then took part in a meeting inside the residence.

Ms Connolly is on a four-day official visit to Scotland.

The visit comes after Mr Swinney met Ms Connolly at her official residence in Dublin in November last year, when he was the first overseas leader to see her after her inauguration.

Irish President Catherine Connolly began her four-day visit to Scotland by meeting First Minister John Swinney at Bute House in Edinburgh (Tony Maxwell/PA)

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At that visit the SNP leader invited the Irish president to Scotland.

During her time in Scotland, Ms Connolly will receive an honorary fellowship from the Royal Society of Edinburgh, before learning more about a project it funds with the Royal Irish Academy that works to help deaf victims of gender-based violence in rural areas.

Over the course of the visit, the president will travel to Glasgow, Coatbridge and the Isle of Skye, where she will visit Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Scotland’s National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture.

Speaking ahead of the visit, she said: “I am very pleased to have the opportunity of making an official visit to Scotland and building on my engagement with the First Minister in the opening weeks of my presidency.

John Swinney and his wife Elizabeth Quigley, both centre, greeted Irish President Catherine Connolly and her husband Brian McEnery outside Bute House (Steve Welsh/PA)

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“Ireland and Scotland are bound by strong ties of friendship, culture and language, with people moving between our countries for centuries.

“I am very much looking forward to meeting with those involved in many of the projects bringing our people together over the coming days, as well as meeting with members of the Irish community in Scotland.”

Mr Swinney said he was “honoured” to welcome Ms Connolly to Scotland as he stressed the “deep and enduring connections” between their nations.

The Scottish First Minister told Press Association: “I was delighted to welcome President Connolly, the President of Ireland, to Edinburgh this morning.

“I was the first head of government to meet President Connolly after her election last year in Dublin, and I’m delighted that so early in her term in office she’s come to visit Scotland.

President Catherine Connolly met US President Donald Trump earlier this month. (James Manning/PA)

“We had an extensive conversation around the relationship between Scotland and Ireland, and some of the global challenges that we all are part of in relation to conflict around the world, and in relation to climate change.

“We also talked about some of the domestic priorities and issues that are at stake here in Scotland, particularly the work that I am taking forward on violence against women and girls.”

Earlier this year, Ms Connolly made an official visit to London and Leeds, meeting the King at Buckingham Palace, and she has also made two official visits to Northern Ireland, while in June she met the First Minister of Wales, Rhun ap Iorwerth.

She met US President Donald Trump when he visited Ireland last weekend.