[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17584]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



       IRELAND'S INTERESTS WELL REPRESENTED IN THE UNITED STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES T. WALSH

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 22, 1999

  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, peace may well come soon to Northern Ireland. 
As intense as the remaining obstacles may be, the closeness of an 
agreement which leads to an elected Assembly makes us hopeful. But as 
we fervently pray and work for peace with our counterparts in Belfast, 
London and Dublin, we must also attend to other American-Ireland 
business which makes our bonds so strong.
  During this time, over the last four years to be exact, those of us 
in the United States who have been staunch supporters of the peace 
talks and closer ties between Ireland and the United States recognize 
well the name of Patrick Hennessy. Mr. Hennessy has served his country 
as Counsellor at the Irish Embassy in Washington and now has been 
reassigned, according to the practice of the Irish Foreign Service 
Department, to Dublin.
  Pat Hennessy has done an exemplary job. He is an outstanding and 
reliable resource. As Chairman of the Friends of Ireland and as Co-
chair with Representative Ben Gilman of New York of the U.S.-Irish 
Interparliamentary Group, I have come to value Pat's many abilities.
  Indeed, the Irish Government's official presence in our country is 
well represented by the high-caliber professionalism of Pat Hennessy.
  His good humor, his intelligence and his love of Ireland--as well as 
his evident respect for our shared values and aspirations--make him the 
``diplomat's diplomat.''
  I will miss Pat's insight and assistance. I am conforted that, being 
a young man, he will remain in public service and I look forward to a 
time when we find ourselves working together again.

                          ____________________