McAleese relatives 'joined PSNI'

Mary McAleese said some relations had joined the PSNI

Irish President Mary McAleese has revealed that she has relations who have recently joined the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Mrs McAleese told RTE that "members of her clan" played for the police Gaelic football team.

She said her relatives, believed to be cousins, had played for the PSNI against the Garda Siochana GAA team.

Mrs McAleese added that she would like to see relations improve between the north and south.

"We have seen members of the PSNI Gaelic football team, on which I have members of my own family, members of my own clan are members of that team, coming down and playing with members of the Garda Siochana," she said.

Mrs McAleese, who was inaugurated as the Irish head of state in 1997, is the first president to come from Northern Ireland.

She is now in her second term of office.