[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 11 (Monday, March 18, 2002)]
[Page 407]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Reception for Saint Patrick's Day

March 13, 2000

    Thank you very much. A hundred thousand welcomes to you all. I 
probably am not going to try to say that in Gaelic. [Laughter] But I 
have learned how to pronounce Taoiseach. [Laughter] Welcome back to the 
White House. It's good to be able to welcome a friend into your home. 
The Taoiseach is a friend.
    I want to thank John Reid, the Secretary of State of Northern 
Ireland, for being here. John, how are you? He's on his honeymoon. 
[Laughter] Sorry to disrupt your honeymoon, but it's for a noble cause. 
[Laughter] David Trimble, the honorable David Trimble, First Minister of 
Northern Ireland--David, thank you for coming. Honorable Mark Durkan, 
appreciate you being here. I want to thank all the other leaders from 
Northern Ireland. I want to thank the ambassadors who are here. Members 
of Congress, always a pleasure to welcome you to the White House.
    I want to thank you all for joining us in celebrating the memory of 
Saint Patrick. His generosity and love of liberty shaped Ireland. 
Through generations of immigrants, those values have helped shape 
America, and we are a better country for it.
    Today we also celebrate our common bonds and common purpose. From 
America's earliest days, our Nation has profited from the contributions 
of the men and women of Ireland. In fact, over two centuries ago, it was 
an Irish boy born in County Wexford, John Barry, who made vital 
contributions to America's independence and is recognized as one of the 
founders of the Department of Navy.
    Today, Ireland is supporting the coalition against terrorism, and 
we're proud of your support. You've frozen the assets of terrorists. 
You're helping respond to terror by leading the Security Council of the 
United Nations.
    For tens of millions of Americans, our ties with Ireland are family 
ties, and this number includes some very distinguished Americans. We're 
honored today to have with us Irish-American firefighters who served our 
Nation so heroically on September the 11th. They represent the best of 
the United States when they displayed enormous strength and 
determination in the face of overwhelming tragedy. And I want to thank 
you all for coming. And I want to tell you what I told you before: We 
remember your colleagues. We will not forget your colleagues who gave 
their lives trying to save the lives of others. Welcome to the White 
House.
    The people of Northern Ireland know the threat of terror. They know 
the value of peace. America is encouraged with the great strides that 
have been made in implementing the Good Friday Agreement. We see 
progress in the daily business of the Northern Ireland Assembly, in the 
new class of police recruits drawn from all communities in Northern 
Ireland, in the first act of decommissioning taken last fall, and in the 
North/South Ministerial Council, which is promoting cooperation across 
the border in agriculture and transportation and other areas.
    The good citizens of Northern Ireland and the leaders here today 
have demonstrated a fierce determination: The next generation must not 
grow up amid The Troubles. For all communities in Northern Ireland, 
there's only one future, and it must be a future of peace. Peacemaking 
can be hard work, like planting in hard soil, and as the Irish proverb 
tells us, ``You'll never plough a field by turning it over in your 
mind.''
    Important work remains, and the United States stands ready to do its 
part. As we gather here today to celebrate an old friendship and new 
hopes, let me open this reception with a blessing: May the Irish hills 
caress you; may her lakes and rivers bless you; may the luck of the 
Irish enfold you; may the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.
    God bless Ireland, and God bless the United States of America.

Note: The President spoke at 11:14 a.m. in the East Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Bertie Ahern of 
Ireland; and Deputy First Minister Mark Durkan, Northern Ireland 
Assembly.