McDonald extends hand of friendship to prince

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald met Prince Charles in Cork last night just hours after he spoke of how reconciliation and understanding can guide both countries on a path of shared prosperity and security.

Sinn Féin members staged a protest in the city during Queen Elizabeth’s visit in 2011, but the only protests yesterday were about traffic diversions and parking restrictions as part of a security operation for the visit of the Prince of Wales and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

Security was tight for the couple’s fourth visit to Ireland in as many years, but crowds in the city centre were sparse, with gardaí estimating that about 2,000 people lined the streets.