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Michelle O'Neill: First minister to attend first game at Windsor Park

BBC Emma Little-Pengelly and Michelle O'NeillBBC
Michelle O'Neill will be joined by Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly at Tuesday's match

First Minister Michelle O'Neill is expected to attend her first Northern Ireland match at Windsor Park this week.

She will join Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly at the game between the Northern Ireland women's team and Montenegro on Tuesday.

The Uefa Women's Nations League play-off match kicks off at 19:00 GMT.

It is understood junior ministers Aisling Reilly, of Sinn Féin, and the DUP's Pam Cameron will also attend.

Michelle O'Neill committed to attend a Northern Ireland match at Windsor Park after taking up the post of first minister earlier this month.

Last year, she also tweeted her support for the Northern Ireland senior men's team ahead of a crunch game.

But Michelle O'Neill will not be the first Sinn Féin minister to attend a match at Windsor Park.

In 2011, former Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín watched a Euro Qualifier game between Northern Ireland men's team and the Faroe Islands.

Ms Ni Chuilin described her visit to Windsor Park as a "new experience" and said she had enjoyed the game.

She later tweeted: "First visit to Windsor Park, enjoyed game, well-received."

The minister took her seat in the stand after the national anthem had been played.

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Analysis box by Enda McClafferty, NI political editor

On the surface this is an easy fixture for the First Minister as it allows Michelle O'Neill to tick two boxes.

Her commitment to women in sport and her desire to be a First Minister for all by going to places outside her comfort zone.

But will we see Michelle O'Neill stand for God Save the King before the kick off?

Her colleague Carál Ní Chuilín was criticised for arriving too late for the anthem in 2011.

While former First Minister Arlene Foster did stand for the Irish national anthem when she attended the GAA Ulster Final in Clones in 2018.

There is every chance the current First Minister will do the same at Windsor Park tomorrow night.

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In 2016, then-Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness attended Northern Ireland's match against Germany during Euro 2016.

Newly-elected GAA President Jarlath Burns said he too planned to be at Windsor Park for the game on Tuesday.

On Saturday, Ms Little-Pengelly tweeted her support for the Ireland rugby team as she attended their Six Nations win against Wales in Dublin along with DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.