Mary Lou McDonald told: It is hard to shake hands with a closed fist

Terry Wright – one of those who organised the Civic Space initiative at Queen’s University – said the picture of Mary Lou McDonald with an ‘England get out of Ireland’ banner in New York was an offensive “mantra of exclusivity”.

On Sunday, Ms McDonald posted the St Patrick’s Day parade picture on social media with the comment ‘No explanation needed’.

Mr Wright, a former Ulster Unionist deputy chairman, said he now questions whether the conciliatory comments made by Ms McDonald at QUB were “expedient rhetoric”.

At the Queen’s University gathering on February 18, the Sinn Fein leader said the ‘reconciliation’ message of republicans was “not a Trojan horse for [Irish] unity”.

She also urged a duty of candour and acceptance of difference.

However, in an open letter to Ms McDonald, Mr Wright said her endorsement of the banner’s message was contradictory to her stated vision for a ‘new Ireland’ of equals, and “lends to the view that your presence and association with the sentiment expressed was either misjudged and misguided, or your presentation at QUB is best seen as expedient rhetoric designed to mask strategic and political intentions that are worrying in their implications”.

“You will understand the clear contradictions as viewed from the side-lines and the injury that results.”

Mr Wright added: “To embrace a mantra of exclusivity, which implies that this is worthy of support, undermines trust and renders problematic any attempt at the reconciliation which civic unionism promotes. It is hard to shake hands with a closed fist.

“I can envisage no situation wherein civic unionists would denigrate an individual’s identity or call for anyone to leave their home and get out of Ireland, north or south. I am disappointed to find that Sinn Fein under your leadership is not at the same point.”

The New York parade banner also alienated a number of Irish nationalists who had joined Sinn Fein in a show of unity at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall in January.

Echoing the sentiments of Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney – who described the banner as “offensive” and “divisive” – political commentator David McCann said the message was “completely contrary to everything that we discussed at that conference”.

Green Party NI leader Clare Bailey, who also addressed the Waterfront ‘Beyond Brexit’ event, said the banner “calls into question her genuine commitment to equality and rights”.

Following a social media backlash against the banner picture on Sunday, Sinn Fein MP Chris Hazzard hit back at his party leader’s critics.

He tweeted: “If – after all of the events of this week – your ire is directed at an Irish republican standing behind an historical anti-colonial banner in America then you’ve really got to step away from social media for a few days and enjoy the holiday.”