Paul Hosford: Keir Starmer steers clear of controversy on Cork trip

British prime minister stayed on safe ground, highlighting his honeymoon in Ireland, his time spent pulling pints of Guinness — and his 'grá' for Declan Rice

British prime minister Keir Starmer and Taoiseach Micheál Martin taking part in a business roundtable at 1 Lapp’s Quay, Cork, ahead of the UK-Ireland summit in the city. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

When Keir Starmer welcomed then taoiseach Simon Harris as his first foreign visitor following the landslide which swept him to office in 2024, the focus was on a renewal of Anglo-Irish relations.

In Chequers, the country home of the British prime minister, the two sank pints of Guinness and committed to a new annual summit between both governments.