Church of Ireland rector’s blond hair jibe irks Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin has called on the DUP and Ulster Unionist Party to distance themselves from comments about its Northern Ireland leader Michelle O'Neill.

In a reference to Ms O'Neill's blond hair, a Church of Ireland minister at the weekend said it was better that peroxide would be used for hair-colouring rather than as an ingredient in bomb-making.

Canon Mark Watson made the comment on Saturday at an Orange Order hall in Enniskillen where an event in support of outgoing UUP MP for Fermanagh South Tyrone Tom Elliott was taking place. Mr Elliott faces a challenge in the Westminster election from Sinn Féin's Michelle Gildernew.

Canon Watson, with DUP leader Arlene Foster in the audience, referred to a Sunday Independent interview where Ms Foster described Ms O'Neill as "very attractive" and also referred to her as "blond" – which both Ms O'Neill and Sinn Féin interpreted as a sexist jibe. The Impartial Reporter newspaper reported that Canon Watson, rector of Trory and Killadeas in Co Fermanagh, said that "our friend the First Minister [Ms Foster] mentioned the blondes".

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“I am glad they are blondes because it means the hydrogen peroxide that’s dying the hair isn’t going into creamery cans to make explosives,” he added.

Canon Watson appeared to fear he had engaged in another episode of misspeaking when he joked, “I hope there are no press about or I’ve just lost my job.”

Sinn Féin Fermanagh Assembly member Jemma Dolan said both Ms Foster and Mr Elliott should "disassociate themselves" from the "outrageous comments" which were "sexist, disrespectful and nasty".

“The Minister referred to Arlene Foster’s disgraceful comments last week but also made an extraordinary and outrageous comment about ‘hydrogen peroxide that’s dyeing the hair isn’t going into creamery cans to make explosives’,” said Ms Dolan.