Presidential debate: Connolly did not know she would be meeting pro-Assad militia leader on Syria visit

Catherine Connolly was pictured in the same group as Saed Abd Al-Aal, who led a pro-Assad armed group in Yarmouk, when she visited Syria in 2018

Race for the Áras: Fine Gael's candidate Heather Humphreys (left) and independent candidate Catherine Connolly. Picture: Conor O'Mearain/PA Wire

Catherine Connolly has said that she did not know she would be meeting a pro-Assad militia leader when she visited Syria in 2018.

Ms Connolly was pictured in the same group as Saed Abd Al-Aal, who led a pro-Assad armed group in Yarmouk.

In the Morning Ireland presidential debate on RTÉ Radio 1 — the last radio debate of the election — Ms Connolly said that she was not aware of who he was and his presence was not an endorsement of the Assad regime.

The Irish Times reported on Friday that one of the men Ms Connolly met in Syria was a leader of a group charged with killing Palestinians in a refugee camp.

Asked if she was aware of this, Ms Connolly said: “No, I wasn’t.

Ms Connolly said: “I went to Syria on a fact-finding mission. The first port of call was the Palestinian refugee camp outside Damascus.

“We were to go to Beirut, but we joined the group later, and the group had gone to a Palestinian refugee camp outside of Beirut.

“We went from Beirut to Damascus on a trip, a fact-finding trip – we met different groups.” 

She added: “You have no control when you go to a country like that as to who will come into Your presence or not.

“That’s no endorsement of the regime. I’m on record for condemning the regime, I did not meet with (then-president Bashar) Assad. 

"Our Taoiseach met with Assad," she added, referring to a 2009 meeting Micheál Martin had with the former dictator when he was foreign affairs minister.

Her opponent, Heather Humphreys, meanwhile, was asked why she did not back calls for a public inquiry into the death of her constituent Shane O'Farrell.

She said that she had spoken to Shane's mother, Lucia.

"I made representations on her behalf," she said. 

“I did speak to her on the phone last year, if I remember correctly, but at the end of the day, I did my best, and I’m sorry if she felt I didn’t do enough.” 

On her votes against the inquiry in 2018 and 2022, she said she voted with the Government at the time.

“I’m sorry if it wasn’t enough. Anybody that came through my constituency office, I did my best for them. There are many times where I have helped people.” 

Speaking about the far-right slogan 'Ireland is Full', Ms Connolly said she found it "disturbing".

"I find the terminology 'Ireland is full' disturbing and unacceptable. That doesn't mean I won't be able to listen to people who feel disconnected.

"There's a conflating of words, that we are being overrun in our country.

"18,500 of our nurses and midwives are from India. There's a conflating of language here, and a mixing up of people seeking asylum status and people coming into the country looking for work."

Ms Humphreys said "hard conversations" are needed with those who have campaigned against migrants.

On a United Ireland, Ms Humphreys said that she would use the role to "build bridges".

“I live on the border, and I know we have come a long way. Brexit stopped us in our tracks and it was very difficult. She says she will use the Áras as a safe place for unionists and nationalists to come to voice their concerns and talk to each other.

“We must bring people together, and I will use the Áras to do that.” 

Asked if they would welcome US president Donald Trump on a State visit, both candidates said that they would, but Ms Connolly was critical of his role in the Gaza genocide.

"It's interesting, we're at a point in our history where we're reliant on President Trump for a peace initiative when he was absolutely behind the genocide, and absolutely funded and resourced Israel," she said.

"Obviously, as a president, I will welcome [world leaders]."