Humphreys' presidency would be about 'breaking down awful prejudices creeping into our society'

Heather Humphreys with her team at the statute of Michael Collins on Cork's Grand Parade. Picture; Eddie O'Hare

Hours after Irish flags were erected on lampposts and bridges across Cork city in an apparent echo of the far-right, anti-migrant Tricolour-hoisting across Dublin, presidential candidate Heather Humphreys canvassed the city on her campaign of unity.

“One of the themes of my presidency is about unity. It's about breaking down those awful prejudices that are creeping into our society. It's about having the conversations,” Ms Humphreys, Fine Gael’s presidential candidate, said.

Although no groups had publicly claimed ownership of the flags, hung on Cork’s public infrastructure, at the time of publication, they seemed to echo the far-right, anti-immigrant movement's erecting flags across Dublin, co-opting the tricolour and reinterpreting it as a symbol of division and exclusion – rather than unity and inclusion as it was originally designed.

“Our flag is so strong in terms of trying to unify people and is a symbol that we should be so proud of,” Ms Humphreys said.

That it is now being co-opted into something divisive is “wrong and it shouldn't be happening,” she said.

We have to speak out against that.

Ms Humphreys started a special flags programme ahead of the 2016 Easter Rising centenary celebrations when she was Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltact.

 Presidential candidate Heather Humphreys with Cllr Gary O'Brien, Cllr Damien Boylan, Colm Burke TD; Simon Coveney, Cllr Jack White and Jerry Buttimer at the English Market on Saturday. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

“Our defence forces delivered a flag to every single school in this country. They explained the importance of the flag.

“The flag belongs to everybody. The flag is a symbol of unity. You have the orange [to symbolise the Northern Protestant and Loyalist tradition], you have the green [Irish Republican], and the white in the middle that represents peace.

“I want to bring people together.” 

Ms Humphreys said that she has learned vital lessons about unity, reaching across political, religious and societal divides to try to build peace and prosperity throughout her life.

Born in Monaghan, her father was a member of the Orange Order but Ms Humphreys became “a proud Irish republican.” She was the only Presbyterian member of the Oireachtas during her tenure as TD.

She said she would support giving Irish citizens in Northern Ireland a vote in the presidential election.

But a referendum would be needed to extend the franchise to people in the North.

“I think that's something that we have to do. We have to work on it," she said.

If we want a united Ireland at some stage down the road, I think it's important that Northern Ireland citizens should have a vote.

And living close to the border with the North, she feels that she has "a unique understanding of the challenges and the difficulties regarding the different traditions in Northern Ireland.” 

“I worked hard during my time in politics, and indeed before that, to reach out the hand of friendship to people in Northern Ireland," Ms Humphreys said.

“So during Brexit, I spent many, many hours visiting and talking to businesses to try and find solutions there and how we'd work together.

“I know the people, and I do know that we need to have more conversations. 

We need to have more conversations about building trust, about breaking down barriers, and about bringing people together and deepening understanding of the different traditions in Northern Ireland.

“I did see only in recent weeks that there still is a lot of misunderstanding, there's a lot of misinformation out there and I truly want to work hard on that.

"I believe in a united Ireland but before that, we must have a united people.”