Michelle O’Neill presents Joe Biden-signed Seamus Heaney poem to primary school

Sinn Féin Vice President Michelle O’Neill presents a Seamus Heaney poem signed by Joe Biden to the pupils of Anahorish Primary School.

While attending the dinner at Dublin Castle during the US President's visit O'Neill noticed the poem, which shares its name with the school, was printed on the menu and acted quickly to get it signed for the school.

Heaney attended Anahorish and its name to one of his famous works. The school sits just outside Derry in Antrim but is attended by many County Derry children.

Mid Ulster Sinn Féin Councillors Donal McPeake and Cllr Ian Milne attended the presentation along with Michelle O'Neill on Friday morning, 12 May.

Anahorish PS Principal Danny Quinn said the fact that O'Neill thought of the school and acted so quickly to get the poem signed was ‘brilliant’’.

“It's fabulous that she was thinking about the school while she was at the dinner.. It just shows you the good nature of Michelle.

“And in the frame there's a photo of her while she's explaining to Joe Biden why she's getting him to sign it – that she's going to take it to Anahourish.

“If I was there I’d have been thinking of getting one of these signed just for myself but she was thinking about who she could share it with and that it would be lovely for us to have.

However, he said some of the children voiced one gripe they had with the US president.

“They knew him because of the visit. They had seen him on TV. They were talking about seeing him here and there and they talked about him saying 'Mayo for Sam' and this was a wee bit controversial because they think Derry's going to win it. So they were saying that to her as well and there was a bit of craic with that.”

He said O’Neill also took the time to meet the children at the school.

“She went round all the classes. We have the first holy communion tomorrow so she was in with the choir while they were practising. She was excellent with the children. She chatted away with them, asked them questions and she was very relaxed and down to Earth.

“And it couldn't have come on a better day. We had a red and white day in the school today for Derry in the Ulster Final on Sunday. So she was here in the middle of all the red and white.”

Mid Ulster Councillor Donal McPeake explained how Michelle got the poem signed.

“At the recent presidential visit of Joe Biden - at the gala dinner in Dublin - On the front cover of the menu was the poem Anahorish by Seamus Heaney.

“Michelle O'Neill noticed this – Anahorish is in her constituency: Mid Ulster – and she asked President Biden if he would sign a copy to the kids of Anahorish, which he duly did.

“As we all know Biden is a big fan of Seamus Heaney – he has often quoted Seamus Heaney – so he knew all about the area,” he said.

“They were delighted. They all knew who Michelle was and they asked if they knew who the President of the United States is and they all knew who Joe Biden was,” he added.