ARLENE’S CHARM OFFENSIVE BUILDS FRIENDSHIPS IN KERRY

MEANWHILE, JOHN BRASSIL ASKS DUP LEADER TO BACK SECOND BREXIT VOTE

DUP leader Arlene Foster told Kerry Fianna Fáil TD John Brassil she completely disagreed with him when he called on her to use her leverage with the the Tories to push for a second referendum on a Brexit he described as a ‘mess’.

The exchange came at the inaugural Killarney Economic Conference at the Brehon Hotel at the weekend, amid dire warnings over the impact of Brexit - an impact already being keenly felt in the tourist capital amid a downturn in British visitors of the order of six per cent nationally on the back of the Brexit-weakened Sterling.

Brassil told Foster the second referendum would represent a ‘simple solution’ to what he characterised as an economic ‘mess’.

“I would ask you, as a person of influence, to go ahead and demand it [second referendum],” he said to the former First Minister.

“I really believe that the British people voted on something that they didn’t realise the consequences of,” he said.

Ms Foster said, in her opinion, the Leave vote was in response to the issue of sovereignty, telling Deputy Brassil she completely disagreed with his proposal. “To be clear, my party has never been in favour of the European Union. Right from the very beginning we have campaigned against it,” she said.

“I totally disagree with you on the second referendum. I would never advocate that. Where do you stop? We would be on a never-ending cycle of referendums,” she told the Kerry Fianna Fail TD during the robust debate on the UK-EU leavetaking.

The first-ever Kerry visit by a DUP leader was ultimately hailed a success however, amid the very warm welcome she received in the tourist capital of a Republic she said she wishes to see ‘prosper’ into the future.

Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin DUP leader Arlene Foster at the Killarney Economic Conference at The Brehon, Killarney, with Fianna Fáil leader Michel Martin in the background.

Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin DUP leader Arlene Foster chatting toScottish Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe, Michael Russell (SNP).

Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin Cllr Niall Kelleher Mayor of Killarney with Arlene Foster at the Killarney Economic Conference.

Photo by Valerie O’Sullivan DUP leader Arlene Foster chats with Brehon Hotel MD Patrick O’Donoghue at the inaugural Killarney Economic Conference - an annual dialogue between political, economic and civic leaders from Britain and Ireland.