Reynolds’ race outburst sparks new controversy

FORMER Taoiseach Albert Reynolds was in hot water last night after using a racially derogatory term to describe the DUP.

Mr Reynolds, who helped begin the current peace process while in office between 1992-1994, branded Ian Paisley’s party the “nigger in the woodpile”.

“The DUP are the nigger in the woodpile at the minute, there’s no question about that. They always were because they were always on the outside up until this time,” he told RTÉ radio.

The incident has echoes of the controversy which engulfed Senator Mary O’Rourke last year when she thanked campaign staff for “working like blacks” after securing a Fianna Fáil nomination to the Dáil. Ms O’Rourke later admitted the phrase belonged to a “different Ireland”.

In May 2005, Overseas Aid Minister Conor Lenihan was forced to apologise for referring to Turkish workers as “kebabs”.