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Irish President’s husband helped UDA chief get fast-track Irish passport

By Emily Moulton
Tuesday, 4 November 2008

UDA boss Jackie McDonald was given a fast-tracked Irish passport by the husband of Irish President Mary McAleese so he could attend a Rangers game.

In First Citizen: Mary McAleese and the Irish Presidency, the south Belfast brigadier glowingly speaks of his relationship with the McAleeses — which began following a meeting in the Taughmonagh social club in February 2003 — saying he hoped they would be “friends forever”.

He explains that when he realised visa problems were going to prevent him from attending the Rangers match, Martin McAleese, who he had just met months earlier, helped him get an Irish passport in time so he could attend.

In the biography on the Irish President’s life, written by journalist Patsy McGarry, McDonald says “southern intermediaries” collected his application in Belfast before bringing it to Dublin for “speedy processing”, the Irish News reported.

Once it was approved, Mr McAleese presented the loyalist leader with the passport in Farmleigh House, Dublin, after he met Mrs McAleese for the first time.

The book also revealed that last year, Mr McAleese arranged tickets for the Ireland versus England rugby match at Croke Park for McDonald and three of his friends and that when the south Belfast brigadier met the Irish President for the first time he presented her with champagne, a bunch of flowers, a box of chocolates, an Ulster flag and a Rangers scarf for her father.

It also contains details of their second meeting at Aras An Uachtarain, Mrs McAleese’s residence in Phoenix Park, where he gave her a rose bush telling her: “I hope it blossoms like our friendship”.

The third time they met McDonald bought a crystal clock engraved with Mr and Mrs McAleese’s names and the words “a united notion”.

McDonald was jailed for 10 years in the 1980s for blackmail, extortion and threats to kill.

His relationship with the McAleeses has been well publicised and led to a series of meetings with other dignitaries in the Republic, including former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who he met at Mrs McAleese’s second inauguration in 2004.

In the book, McDonald said he asked the president to stand for a second term and initially turned down an invitation to the inauguration because he “didn’t want to get her into bother”.

“But she said: ‘You are my friend’,” he said.

It was there that he met Mr Ahern.

“That contact helped. A lot (in Northern Ireland) are very wary of supporting people like myself but because of Bertie and the president, it has made it easier for others to talk to me,” McDonald said.

Asked about his relationship with the prominent couple, he added: “I hope we will be friends forever. They are fantastic.”

The biography also charts the president’s journey from her nationalist, working class background to becoming a law student at Queen’s, marrying husband Martin — after a brief engagement to another man — working as a reporter at RTE and eventually being elected as president.

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27 Comments

"You're quite wrong to assume that I have some sort of blind hatred (or indeed bigotry) of all things to do with Southern
Ireland."

Mickey mouse, You couldn't really tell from the hatred-filled simplistic ramblings spewed out in your sectarian posts. No, maybe you don't hate all things in that place you refer to as the "Irish Republic" but just 99% of things to do with the south. By the way, what you call "Irish Republic" does not exist anywhere, and the fact that you use this pejorative term is itself a clue to your simplistic understanding of reality, but do not let facts or reality get in the way of your ignorant bliss...

Posted by Southern Pride | 06.11.08, 10:12 GMT

Paulo - absolutely agreed the Republic should of course contribute. Its GDP is now one of the highest in the EU so funds from it should go to helping raise the economies in poorer regions of the EU (NI included). That's the basis for the structural funds - its not an EU slush fund its to provide funds to reform and advance economics in target economies so they can become net contributors in the future ie a win win situation. A smaller Marshall plan if you will, similar to how the US bailed out Britain, Germany and France after WWII.

Posted by Jake M | 05.11.08, 15:33 GMT

paulo I'll think you will find that it was Britain and not the UK who contributed to the EU. Scotland, Wales and England contributed. All your taxes contributed to were fixing potholes in south Armagh

Posted by Tom | 05.11.08, 14:07 GMT

Jake M - the Republic has sucked out from the EU for over 20 years - about time it started repaying.
As for N.Ireland - as a status1 region of the UK it was entitled to some of the hundreds of Billions that the UK has contributed over the decades including my taxes and yours - I assume. I'm not even going to venture down the road of why our economy suffered so much over the last 30+ years.

Posted by Paulo | 05.11.08, 13:36 GMT

Mickey unfortunately the 'lame brained' can only rely on the comments you post here and not on the charm and tolerance one assumes you exude in real life.

I agree no country, including the Republic, is liked by all, that's a ridiculous notion, for example we are definitely not flavour of the month in Europe after recent events such as our ridiculous No vote to Lisbon, breaching the allowed EMU GDP borrowing levels and the government bank guarantee. One could argue that we are the least popular European country in Brussels right now. Of course some would argue that's a good thing!

Posted by Jake M | 05.11.08, 12:55 GMT

Mickey it isn't lame brained. Nor is it only to do with this particular post. It's every single post you make. And no matter what your protestations say, your posting history on this site suggests otherwise.

Posted by Barry | 05.11.08, 12:27 GMT

You're quite wrong to assume that I have some sort of blind hatred (or indeed bigotry) of all things to do with Southern Ireland. How easy it is for the lame-brained to assume this.

I was merely responding to a contributor's claim that "(the Republic of) Ireland has done no harm to anyone, and is a well liked country by all".

Posted by mickey | 05.11.08, 12:16 GMT

Mickey your blind hatred of the Republic and anything in Ireland that is not linking in some way to Britain or its army is amusing. The fact is the Republic of Ireland is one of the largest aid donors per capita in the world. As a small country it plays a very active role in UN piece keeping missions (Lebanon, Congo the Balkans, East Timor and Cyprus etc) and is widely respected for doing so. But don't let the facts get in your way. Fact is there are many disputes worldwide not just in Iraq and Afghanistan that merit attention

Paulo, in case it has escaped your attention, the Republic will now be a net contributor to the EU budget this contrasts with NI which sucks £5b from the UK and EU each year and will continue to do so indefinitely. I think Wilson got it spot on!

Posted by Jake M | 05.11.08, 11:34 GMT

"meeting and defeating the Taliban & Al Quaeda"

Is that a joke?...look up Musa Qala and you will learn how the brave British ( did a runner before the Taliban...and another commentator is right below about Basra... the British legged it out to the airport to hide....so much for your "head on"

Posted by Abdullah | 05.11.08, 10:38 GMT

mickey, get a life, you are probably one of those brave men for whom the closest thing you get to doing battle with the Taliban is on your Nintendo

Posted by Major Tom | 05.11.08, 10:27 GMT

Now now mickey you may have a point on some things but when you continually blurt out your blind bigotry day after day on this site by the time you do actually come round to making a point it doesn't really have an impact that would lead to reasoned mature debate.

Posted by Barry | 05.11.08, 10:17 GMT

Oops, I take it all back. The Irish Republic is indeed well loved by all because of her army's brave and selfless endeavours at meeting and defeating the Taliban & Al Quaeda head on. My mistake.

Posted by mickey | 05.11.08, 09:34 GMT

Ireland's humanitarian record speaks for itself, and clearly you have little understanding of these things...I have worked with the Irish on different humanitarian missions throughout the years and they can be rightly proud, as can we British

Posted by Terry, London | 05.11.08, 05:26 GMT

Mickey you really do come out with some whoppers.

Posted by Barry | 04.11.08, 17:57 GMT

"the Republic of Ireland hasn't been prepared to get stuck in where it matters"

Don't be an eejit spouting such utter balderdash...it seems that fighting in the British army is your only idea of "helping the world"...Ireland is, per capita, one of the world's most generous aid donors, and the Irish people have been amongst the most generous in the world, with her aid agencies like Concern and oversees government development programs, NOT TO MENTION UN humanitarian missions in Chad, Lebanon and Liberia. No, your NATO missions of which the Brits have been willing lapdogs of Bush have not helped anyone, and the British retreat in Basra is still a sore point with the locals there....

Posted by Nigel | 04.11.08, 17:02 GMT

Hands across the border. Is there a ulterior motif at hand here?

Earl. Canada

Posted by Earl | 04.11.08, 15:18 GMT

Big deal - by virtue of being from Northern Ireland he is perfectly entitled to an Irish passport and as for speeding it up, there is a fast track service anyway so you can head down to Dublin and argue it out with the passport office about getting one speedily. The only interesting thing about it is that a prominent Unionist has an Irish passport - brilliant! They'll all come round in time.

Posted by Chris | 04.11.08, 14:02 GMT