Belfast Mayor welcomes new Ard Mhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath Críona Ní Dhálaigh to west Belfast

BELFAST'S Sinn Féin Mayor Arder Carson welcomed Ard Mhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath Críona Ní Dhálaigh to the city on Tuesday.

Accompanied by Dublin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Ní Dhálaigh chatted to Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD and Carson outside the Sinn Féin party headquarters at Sevastopol Street where they were photographed at the iconic mural of H-Blocks Hunger Striker Bobby Sands.

Speaking to An Phoblacht, Dublin's 'First Citizen' enthused about her role as Dublin Mayor in “ a year that marks so many momentous events in our history, not least the centenary of the 1916 Rising”.

Gerry Adams was also keen to point out that in the year running through this “year of centenaries” Sinn Féin holds the mayoralties in the the four major cities across the country with Críona in Dublin, Arder Carson in Belfast, Elisha McCallion in Derry and Chris O' Leary in Cork – the first Lord Mayor of Cork since Tomás Mac Curtáin and Traloch Mac Suibhne.

Tomás Ashe was assassinated by British forces when he was sitting mayor while Mac Suibhne died on hunger strike in Brixton Prison during the Tan War.