Unionists in ‘cold house at QUB’ petition
THE daughter of First Minister Arlene Foster has signed a petition calling on Queen’s University, Belfast to ensure the institution is no longer a ‘cold house’ for unionists. Sarah Foster was one of 400 people who signed a change.org petition set up after unionists reacted with alarm to the election of the new president of QUB Students’ Union. They expressed concern over social media posts by Grian Ni Dhaimhin (above ),in which she appeared to signal sympathy for militant republicanism.
THE daughter of First Minister Arlene Foster has signed a petition calling on Queen’s University to ensure the institution is no longer a “cold house” for unionists.
Sarah Foster was one of 400 people who signed the change. org petition set up after unionists reacted with alarm to the election of the new president of the Students’ Union at Queen’s.
They expressed concern over social media posts by Grian Ni Dhaimhin (23), in which she appeared to signal her sympathy for militant republicanism.
Among them was an image of a poster for a commemoration event for three IRA members shot dead by the SAS at a Strabane arms dump in 1985.
The Strabane history and social anthropology student also ‘liked’ various posts, including one showing a masked woman with an assault rifle alongside a republican slogan.
Her election campaign had included achieving a carbon neutral university and opposing slum landlords.
On Facebook the QUB Conservative and Unionist Society called on Ms Ni Dhaimhin to apologise. “As a society we are deeply concerned with the emerging picture around the newly elected SU President for the next academic year,” it said.
“We as a society will work with any other organisation on campus, political or non-political, unionist or nationalist or other, any individual to bring about a university environment in which political discussion remains respectful, engaging and positive for students.
“We will also work with the Students’ Union to facilitate this. However, we will not engage with individuals who wish to commemorate and celebrate acts of terrorism. Terrorism and violence see nothing but destruction and suffering being the be all of everything, and our Students’ Union should not bound to that view.
“We are therefore calling for Grian Ni Dhaimhin to apologise to all students, from every community and identity for her promotion of what is a threat to civil political discourse on campus.”
The Queen’s University Young Unionists said they “are deeply concerned with the Student Presidential results” last week.
“Grian Ni Dhaimhin has a history of blatantly sympathising for the IRA, evident through various social media posts,” they said. “The Young Unionists have been and are currently involved in talks with the university, regarding accusations that Queen’s is becoming a cold house for unionists. Her appointment as president has only solidified the fears among Queen’s University’s largest minority — unionists.”
A QUB spokeswoman told the News Letter Ms Dhaimhin will take up her post on July 1. “Once in post, the SU President, as with all Student Officers, is required to adhere to a Student Officer Protocol, detailed in the Constitution of the SU, which details responsibilities and conduct relating to their role,” she said.
QUB SU did not reply to a request for comment.