Veteran UTV presenter Rose Neill has paid tribute to her “hard-working and happy team” after being awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours. Neill, a presence on television screens across Northern Ireland for more than four decades, received the honour as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney prepared to make his first official visit to Ireland this weekend.
Carney, who has been embroiled in a clash with U.S. President Donald Trump since taking office last year, will meet Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Dublin before travelling to his ancestral home in County Mayo. The prime minister has promoted the idea of smaller democracies banding together against bullying by big powers, but that message is unlikely to be fully embraced in Dublin.
“Veteran UTV presenter Rose Neill awarded MBE as Canadian PM Carney visits Ireland, where Dublin avoids criticising Trump.”
An Irish government official helping to plan Carney’s visit said: “We will be resolutely and sincerely pro-Canada. We will just as resolutely avoid saying a syllable that might be construed in any way as critical of Donald Trump or his administration.” The official, granted anonymity to speak frankly, added: “We’re all about building bridges and staying out of any unnecessary fights.”
Ireland’s diplomatic stance is grounded in its deep economic ties with the United States. The country is home to nearly 1,000 U.S. multinationals, which fund nearly a fifth of Irish wages. “We are hugely dependent on staying in America’s good graces and I’m sure Mark Carney understands that well,” the official said.
Meanwhile, Neill’s MBE honours a career that has made her a familiar face in Northern Irish homes. She described the UTV team as “hard-working and happy” in her tribute following the announcement.