Those who campaigned to ‘take back control’ did not appreciate Brexit might give more power to those seeking Irish unity
It was dubbed “a Protestant parliament for a Protestant people” but 90 years later, there is a Catholic in the office of the first minister.
When Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill accepted the nomination, in the Irish language, a nationalist held the highest title in devolved government for the first time.
The sense of history was palpable at Stormont as members of the Northern Ireland Assembly filed back into the chamber after two years of stalemate.
She won’t have more authority than she had as deputy first minister – the two most senior posts are codependent under power sharing – but it’s hugely symbolic.
Parliament Buildings in the Stormont Estate represent decades of Unionist dominance. There are six floors inside and six pillars outside representing Northern Ireland’s six counties.
But the new first minister represents a party that does not acknowledge those six counties as separate from the 26 counties in the Republic of Ireland.
Parliament Buildings on the Stormont Estate. Pic: PA
The Irish words ‘Sinn Fein’ are literally translated as ‘ourselves’ or ‘we ourselves’, expressing a desire for the whole island to be separate from the UK.
The party refuses to take its seats at Westminster but regards power sharing at Stormont as a halfway house on the road to a united Ireland.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), with whom it shares power, views it differently – quick to point out Sinn Fein is “administering British rule” at Stormont.
Nevertheless, the party long described as “the political wing of the IRA” has certainly come a long way since its ‘Smash Stormont’ election campaign in 1982.
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Why Northern Ireland’s new first minister is hugely symbolic
Angry exchanges at Stormont
It was Ms O’Neill’s predecessor, the former IRA commander Martin McGuinness, who made the transition from guns to government when he became deputy first minister.
But her elevation will boost the party’s hopes of making history in the Republic by having its leader, Mary Lou McDonald, elected taoiseach (prime minister).
Michelle O’Neill (L) and Mary Lou McDonald (R). Pic: PA
The sense of occasion on the hill overlooking Belfast did not prevent angry exchanges, not between power-sharing partners, but between the DUP and hardline Unionists.
The Traditional Unionist Voice party rejects Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s claim his deal with the UK government removes the Brexit border in the Irish Sea.
But those who campaigned to “take back control” did not appreciate that Brexit might give more control to those seeking to get Irish unity done.
Travellers have been warned to expect disruption to trains in Scotland today as the country continues to feel the effects of Storm Floris.
Services are likely to be affected as the storm – which brought winds of up to 124mph on Monday, bringing down trees and power lines, closing roads and cancelling flights – blows through.
The Scottish government held an emergency meeting last night to discuss the “significant disruption” caused and the efforts under way to recover, as rail operators look to clear routes covered by debris and utilities firms work to reconnect properties experiencing power outages.
Ross Moran, Network Rail Scotland’s route director, said teams had been “working tirelessly to keep services moving where possible and to clear fallen trees and debris from the tracks”.
By the evening, their focus had switched to “inspecting routes which have been closed by fallen trees, debris and other damage”, and work will continue into today.
“We’re grateful to passengers for their patience whilst we do this,” Mr Moran added.
(L-R) Frances Kusz, Jack Kusz, Paul Audoire and Robert Kusz waiting at Glasgow Central Station. Pic: PA
Most weather warnings have expired, but a yellow warning for wind is in place until 8am over the Shetland Islands and Orkney, and showers will remain throughout the rest of Scotland.
Rail, road, and ferry travel was disrupted by the storm on Monday, as 100 Edinburgh Fringe events were cancelled, according to organisers.
At one point, more than 30,000 people were without power.
A worker removes a fallen tree on the A82 road near Onich. Both pics: Reuters
At least 68 flights were cancelled, aviation analytics firm Cirium said, with Aberdeen and Belfast City the worst-affected airports.
Western coastal areas bore the brunt of the storm, but strong winds and heavy rain affected much of the rest of the country.
Police received “multiple reports” of camper vans blown over on the A87 between Broadford and Portree on Skye, while in Aberdeenshire the A96 was closed in both directions near Old Rayne because of fallen trees.
Fallen trees have also seen a number of other roads closed, including the A95 Rosarie road in both directions, while the A9 at Daviot was partially blocked by a fallen tree and the A1 Tyne Bridge was only open to cars and single-decker buses.
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Watch: Bumpy landing for plane in Storm Floris
Those driving in poor weather have been urged to avoid the worst-hit areas and slow down when on the roads while allowing time for delays.
Ferries have also seen widespread disruption, with ferry operator CalMac cancelling a number of sailings because of high winds.
Monday’s top wind speed was 124mph at Cairngorm, a mountain range in northern Scotland, according to Met Office data.
Sky News weather producer Christopher England said Tuesday would be a “much calmer”, though still windy – see your local forecast here.
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