    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 11 (Monday, March 22, 1999)]
    [Pages 455-456]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks at the Speaker's Saint Patrick's Day Luncheon

    March 17, 1999

        Well, I'd like to say, first of all, Mr. Speaker, thank you for
    inviting us here, for a wonderful lunch. We welcome all of our friends
    from Northern Ireland and the Republic--[inaudible]--welcome them home.
        Father, we thank you for your invocation and for the plug for the
    town of my roots. You should know that after--I'm convinced that the
    chamber of commerce there encouraged this, because after the invocation
    he came over to me and said, ``Don't you ever come back to Ireland
    without going there.'' [Laughter] So I thank you.
        Taoiseach, Secretary Albright, Secretary Daley, and to all the
    Members of Congress. I congratulate Senator Kennedy on his award from
    the American Ireland Fund.
        The Speaker said something I'd like to pick up on. You know,
    normally, at this time of year, for the last several years, John, David,
    Gerry, Seamus--somebody's come here and thanked some American for
    supporting the Irish peace process. But the truth is that we should all
    be thanking you, because it's only when you come here that you bring us
    all together--[inaudible]--add to that, to your citation. [Laughter] But
    we're very grateful.
        Let me also say that we look forward to the day when this will be a
    total celebration. What a different year we had this year, Taoiseach,
    because of the Good Friday accords. We're grateful that Senator Mitchell
    was able to take a leading role--[inaudible]--all you have done. We know
    not only in Ireland but, indeed, in other places, that the closer you
    get to peace, the more desperate the enemies of peace become. And we
    have seen the tragedy of the Omagh bombing. We have seen the tragedy of
    the murder of Rosemary Nelson. We just had another loss last night--
    [inaudible].
        This is perfectly predictable. It happened in the Middle East. I've
    seen it happen all over the world. Whenever people in responsible
    positions stick their necks out, there's always someone who knows the
    best way to rekindle a sense of mistrust necessary to destroy the peace
    is to kill someone and focus on violence.
        Your presence here today is a strong commitment to the peace process
    and therefore gratefully noted. And all I can say is, I think I can
    speak for every Member of Congress in this room without regard to party,
    for every member of our administration--you know that we feel,
    Taoiseach, almost an overwhelming and inexpressible bond to the Irish
    people. We want to help all of you succeed. It probably seems meddlesome
    sometimes, but we look forward to the day when Irish children will look
    at The Troubles as if they were some part of mystic Celtic folklore, and
    all of us who were alive during that period will seem like relics of a
    bygone history.
        We hope we can help you to achieve that. And believe me, all of us
    are quite mindful that it is much harder for you--every one of you here
    in this room who have been a part of this--than it is for us. We don't
    mean to meddle, but we do want to help.
        And we've had a lot of great Speakers of the House who were Irish:
    McCormack, O'Neill, Foley. I think we ought to rename the Speaker
    ``O'Hastert'' after--[laughter]--his words today, because they were
    right on point.
        So you know that across all the gulfs of American politics, we join
    in welcoming all of our Irish friends. And right now, I'll ask Taoiseach
    Bertie Ahern to take the floor and give us a few remarks.
        Thank you, and God bless you.

    [[Page 456]]

    Note: The President spoke at approximately 12 noon in Room H207 of the
    Rayburn House Office Building. In his remarks, he referred to Father
    Sean McManus, who gave the invocation; Prime Minister Bertie Ahern of
    Ireland; Social Democratic and Labour Party leader John Hume; Ulster
    Unionist Party leader David Trimble; Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams; and
    Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon, Northern Ireland Assembly.