Michelle O'Neill stands for UK national anthem at her first Northern Ireland football match at Windsor Park

​The new First Minister and Mid-Ulster MLA, alongside her West Belfast party colleague Aisling O’Reilly (a junior minister in the Executive Office), did not sing.

After the anthem was over, they both applauded.

She had tweeted out to her 147,000 followers from her account (@moneillsf): “It is great to be in Windsor Park this evening to cheer on the Northern Ireland Women’s team in their crucial Nations League play-off. Best of luck to the team!”

Attending alongside her was Deputy First Minister and Lagan Valley MLA Emma Little-Pengelly (clad in a Northern Ireland scarf) and Pam Cameron (a fellow junior Executive Office minister, from South Antrim).

“The women are here to support the women,” added Ms O’Neill.

“I think it’s important, particularly for women in sport, that we all get behind them and actually support them.”

In the event, the team drew against rivals Montenegro – see sport for more.

After the final whistle, Ms O’Neill said: “This is my first time attending a match at Windsor Park and it really was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

“I believe in the power of sport to unite communities and bring people together from across the political divide, north–south and across these two islands...

“I also want to thank the IFA and everyone who attended the match for the warm welcome I have received.”

It was not wall-to-wall praise, however.

TUV member and RAF veteran Lorna Smyth asked on Twitter: “All those applauding Michelle O’Neill for attending the Northern Ireland Women's football match tonight,should really be asking why she's attending when she can't even utter the words Northern Ireland the country she claims to represent.”

Martin McGuinness attended a Northern Ireland match in France in 2016 when he was deputy First Minister.

Before that, in 2011, then-sports minister Caral Ni Chuilin became the first senior Sinn Fein politician to attend a Northern Ireland game at Windsor Park.