YOUR DESTINY IS PEACE
Your destiny is peace'
Steven McCaffery looks back on President Clinton's second visit to Ireland in a bid to boost an ailing peace process
IRISH NEWS cartoonist Ian Knox summed-up the significance of President Clinton's role in the peace process.
On Friday September 4, the day after Bill Clinton set foot again on Irish soil, two drawings sat side-by-side on the paper's pages.
The first, marked 1995, shows Mr President watering a seedling. In the second, dated 1998, Clinton is again tending the tender peace process 'plant', but now the young shoots have become a mighty oak.
Even though it was during his Irish tour that the president was forced to utter his first apology for the Monica Lewinsky affair, it was effectively a side issue during his stay.
The true significance and power of the presidential visit became evident just days before his arrival.
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams issued a statement insisting: "the violence we have seen must be for all of us now a thing of the past, over, done with and gone."
This declaration came close to saying the war is over and as the peace process cranked up a gear, Ulster Unionists agreed to a meeting with the Sinn Fein leader. First Lady Hillary Clinton arrived in Belfast on Wednesday September 3 - a day ahead of her husband. After the main attraction touches down, he was whisked off to meet the members of the new Northern Ireland shadow assembly.
At Belfast's Waterfront Hall President Clinton addressed the north's politicians.
The argument over republicans taking seats in an executive saw David Trimble's Waterfront speech branded "ungenerous". The compliments were heaped on the president.
He spoke of Inis Fail - island of destiny - the name hopeful Irish immigrants gave America.
"Today Americans see you as Inis Fail and your destiny is peace," he said.
"America is with you. The entire world is with you. May God be with you and give you strength for the good work ahead."
His whistle-stop tour takes the president to cut the first sod at the west Belfast Springvale campus along with the first lady and British Prime Minister Tony Blair and wife Cherie.
There are emotional scenes later when the group visit Omagh - rocked by its devastating bomb blast only weeks before. Mr Clinton met some of the bereaved and sympathised with them.
He said farewell to the north in Armagh. In the square he addressed thousands and was joined by his wife, Mr and Mrs Blair and the Secretary of State Mo Mowlam. The crowd also heard an address from 17-year-old Sharon Haughey, from Granemore near Keady.
The A-level pupil from Our Lady's, Newry, remembered the encounter with fondness. And even though her brush with fame was to attract a marriage proposal from India (incidentally she did not reply to it), it was her encounter with the president and his fellow VIPs that remains at the forefront of her mind.
"It was a fantastic experience. He was really nice, Hillary was lovely, Tony and Cherie Blair were great fun - they were all just friendly down-to-earth people," she said last week.
"Despite everything that has happened for him at home, Mr Clinton has been a fantastic president and has done great work here.
"Without his help, who knows if the peace process would have succeeded."
Steven McCaffery looks back on President Clinton's second visit to Ireland in a bid to boost an ailing peace process
IRISH NEWS cartoonist Ian Knox summed-up the significance of President Clinton's role in the peace process.
On Friday September 4, the day after Bill Clinton set foot again on Irish soil, two drawings sat side-by-side on the paper's pages.
The first, marked 1995, shows Mr President watering a seedling. In the second, dated 1998, Clinton is again tending the tender peace process 'plant', but now the young shoots have become a mighty oak.
Even though it was during his Irish tour that the president was forced to utter his first apology for the Monica Lewinsky affair, it was effectively a side issue during his stay.
The true significance and power of the presidential visit became evident just days before his arrival.
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams issued a statement insisting: "the violence we have seen must be for all of us now a thing of the past, over, done with and gone."
This declaration came close to saying the war is over and as the peace process cranked up a gear, Ulster Unionists agreed to a meeting with the Sinn Fein leader. First Lady Hillary Clinton arrived in Belfast on Wednesday September 3 - a day ahead of her husband. After the main attraction touches down, he was whisked off to meet the members of the new Northern Ireland shadow assembly.
At Belfast's Waterfront Hall President Clinton addressed the north's politicians.
The argument over republicans taking seats in an executive saw David Trimble's Waterfront speech branded "ungenerous". The compliments were heaped on the president.
He spoke of Inis Fail - island of destiny - the name hopeful Irish immigrants gave America.
"Today Americans see you as Inis Fail and your destiny is peace," he said.
"America is with you. The entire world is with you. May God be with you and give you strength for the good work ahead."
His whistle-stop tour takes the president to cut the first sod at the west Belfast Springvale campus along with the first lady and British Prime Minister Tony Blair and wife Cherie.
There are emotional scenes later when the group visit Omagh - rocked by its devastating bomb blast only weeks before. Mr Clinton met some of the bereaved and sympathised with them.
He said farewell to the north in Armagh. In the square he addressed thousands and was joined by his wife, Mr and Mrs Blair and the Secretary of State Mo Mowlam. The crowd also heard an address from 17-year-old Sharon Haughey, from Granemore near Keady.
The A-level pupil from Our Lady's, Newry, remembered the encounter with fondness. And even though her brush with fame was to attract a marriage proposal from India (incidentally she did not reply to it), it was her encounter with the president and his fellow VIPs that remains at the forefront of her mind.
"It was a fantastic experience. He was really nice, Hillary was lovely, Tony and Cherie Blair were great fun - they were all just friendly down-to-earth people," she said last week.
"Despite everything that has happened for him at home, Mr Clinton has been a fantastic president and has done great work here.
"Without his help, who knows if the peace process would have succeeded."
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0262
Published Date: 28-Dec-98
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