Michelle O'Neill is the first republican chief minister of Northern Ireland. Daughter of a Provisional IRA prisoner, she decided to emulate her leap into political action with Sinn Féin.
Until recently, the specter of the IRA relentlessly haunted O’Neill. Her attendance at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and King Charles’ coronation in 2023 served to mark that calculated transition. "We live in changing times and it is a way of showing respect to all Northern Irish people," stressed the vice president.