US president Donald Trump said Irish unity would be a “great thing” in response to a reporter’s question on his visit to Dublin.
The comments, made alongside Taoiseach Micheál Martin at Farmleigh, caused eyebrows to be raised north and south of the Border and in London, but they were subsequently downplayed by a spokesperson for the Taoiseach who made it clear that Ireland’s policy on the North had not and would not be changing.
A spokesman for British prime minister Andy Burnham said there was no majority support for a referendum and that one will not be held until that changes.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson said Northern Ireland’s constitutional future “will be decided by the people of Northern Ireland, not by commentary in London, Dublin or Washington”.
“As unionists we are not interested in the destruction of our country by joining with the Irish Republic,” he said.
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald acknowledged the remarks, but focused in her statement on calls for the US to “stop facilitating the genocide of Palestinian people”.
The US president’s flying visit to Dublin passed off without further controversy.
After brief meetings with President Catherine Connolly and the Taoiseach, Trump addressed a crowd including business leaders, politicians and cultural figures at Deerfield, the US ambassador’s residence. All three engagements took place within the Phoenix Park in Dublin.
Trump told reporters at Farmleigh he had discussed Northern Ireland with Connolly during their private meeting in Áras an Uachtaráin and said it was a topic that was of great interest to him.
Almost immediately he was asked for his views on a united Ireland.
“I’d love to see it unified. It is going to happen eventually. You have the right man over here to get it moving,” he said, gesturing to Martin.
“I think it would be a fantastic thing. I think the UK would have something to say about it but I think it would be a great thing. How could it be bad?”
He also batted away any suggestion that planned protests indicated the desire of many Irish people that he stay away and he said that he was unaware there were protests happening.
“It can’t be a very big one because we’ve been all over Ireland today already but I haven’t seen any protest.”
Thousands gathered in Dublin city centre and in Co Clare to protest against the US president’s presence.
Trump had met Connolly, who has been vocally critical of him in the past, for slightly longer than the allotted 10 minutes scheduled and the handshakes before the meeting appeared cordial.
Trump described it as “a very nice meeting”, adding that he had considered it “respectful”.
In a subsequent statement, Connolly said she had “conveyed the strong view of the Irish people that the normalisation of war and genocide can never be accepted” and “emphasised the unique insight which Irish people can bring to the resolution of conflict”.
The Taoiseach spoke of links, both economic and sporting, between the two countries in their joint press conference.
After the two semi-official events, Trump delivered a speech at the residence of the US ambassador Edward Walsh.
“This country is a fantastic,” he said as he hailed the hospitality of Irish people.
“You know they say you can’t generalise about groups of people, countries, but you can. People love coming to Ireland. You know why? Because they love you. They love the people. There’s a friendliness,” he continued before pausing ever so slightly.
“There’s also a viciousness and a toughness. Let me tell you, you are some of the most vicious bastards … but when you want to be nice there is nobody nicer.”
After the speeches, he travelled by motorcade back to Dublin Airport where Air Force One was waiting to fly him and his entourage, including several family members, to Shannon from where he travelled on to Doonbeg to attend the Irish Open golf tournament.