Society must ‘learn from’ racism of the past, Catherine Connolly says

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

We should all “learn from” racism of the past, presidential candidate Catherine Connolly said, after a TD supporting her campaign was embroiled in a “blackface” controversy.

Ms Connolly is backed by several independents, some of the Labour Party, and the Social Democrats.

The latter party was rocked by a scandal this week after a TD admitted to wearing brown make-up while impersonating Barack Obama at a Halloween party 16 years ago.

Images of Eoin Hayes wearing the make-up on his face and hands as part of the costume were published in the Irish Daily Mail on Tuesday.

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said “there is no circumstance where blackface is OK” but insisted that Mr Hayes deserves a chance to regain people’s trust.

Asked about the issue on Tuesday, Ms Connolly said she would leave the matter for the Social Democrats to deal with – reiterating that she was “delighted” with the support of the party.

Speaking to the media at the National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore, she said: “Different issues arise at different times for parties, for all of us in our lives to reflect on what we might have done or said.”

Ms Connolly said Mr Hayes has apologised “profusely” and “in good faith” and recognised wrong had been done.

Pressed on whether she still wanted the support of Mr Hayes, she said that she believed she had more than 20 nominations and hoped they would all be there when the window formally closes.

She added: “If I go more general than that, we have all said and done things in our lives and we have said many racist things, actually, in our past that we didn’t even think was racist.

“It was appalling, unacceptable – and we should all learn.”

It is important that we have a president that has courage

In particular, Ms Connolly reflected on the racist abuse suffered by the Traveller community with which she worked for several years and added: “It is not something to decry as such, it is something to learn from.”

Elsewhere, Ms Connolly said she would be a president with a “work ethic”, adding that she would use her voice for peace and climate change advocacy.

She said: “It is important that we have a president that has courage, who can take courage in her hand and stand up against consensus that is not in our interest.”

Ms Connolly said she was attending the Ploughing Championships for the first time, but added it was her fourth agricultural show of the year.

She also called for a national discussion on how nominations for president are handled.

To be eligible to run, a candidate must be nominated either by 20 members of the Oireachtas or four local authorities and also be an Irish citizen over the age of 35.

In a healthy democracy we need a debate on the nomination process

Ms Connolly has stood by a controversial decision to nominate former journalist Gemma O’Doherty for a previous presidential election campaign but has reiterated that she “never supported” her.

She said: “On a general level. In a healthy democracy we need a debate on the nomination process.”

Ms Connolly said she was “conservative” on the topic but said an “open debate” on the process is needed.

“Is it right to limit to four local authorities or 20 combined members of the [Oireachtas]?” she added.

She said that debate should happen after the current election.

Pressed on whether she would prefer to see more runners come through the local authority route, she said a healthy democracy “can cope” with further candidates.

She expressed “disappointment” with public discourse around the race and called for a “fuller debate on the importance of the role of president”.

As the race ploughed on outside of Tullamore also, independent hopeful Gareth Sheridan secured a nomination from Tipperary County Council.

Along with the backing of Kerry County Council, it puts the millionaire entrepreneur halfway to securing the necessary four nods from local authorities.