Irish President Begins Four-Day Visit to Scotland

Irish President Catherine Connolly began a four-day official visit to Scotland on Wednesday, meeting First Minister John Swinney at Bute House in Edinburgh. The visit, her first to Scotland and the first by an Irish president in a decade, is focused on strengthening bilateral ties through cultural and community engagement. President Connolly stated that Ireland and Scotland are bound by strong ties of friendship, culture, and language, with people moving between the countries for centuries. First Minister Swinney said he was honoured to welcome the president and is determined to build and strengthen links between Scotland and Ireland, noting that they enrich both societies. The meeting at Bute House was followed by a visit to the National Library of Scotland, where President Connolly viewed a £750,000 collaboration project between the national libraries of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Britain. She also received an honorary fellowship from the Royal Society of Edinburgh and was briefed on a project supporting deaf victims of gender-based violence in rural areas. The visit includes engagements in Glasgow, Coatbridge, and the Isle of Skye.