Taoiseach heckled by pro-life protesters at statue unveiling

Around 200 pro-life protesters jeered and heckled Taoiseach Enda Kenny as he unveiled a statue in Longford yesterday.

Protesters carrying placards displaying aborted foetuses and anti-abortion slogans, ignored a request for silence from the Taoiseach as he read the names of the North Longford Flying Column. Having verbally abused the Taoiseach when he arrived at Ballinalee, the pro-life protesters chanted “keep your promise” during Mr Kenny’s speech as the statue of General Sean Mac Eoin was uncovered.

“Right of legitimate protest in our country of course is a right that is available to everybody and we respect that that should be a peaceful right at all times,” Mr Kenny told the protesters. “But I would like to say to those people across the road, it is my privilege to read out the 49 names of those of the flying column of Longford and I would respectfully request that they remain silent while these names are being read.”