 Mr. President, Mr. Foreign Minister, Friends of Ireland and of this Embassy, I wish you a very warm welcome and I thank you for the honor you do us in joining us here on St. Patrick's Day. I now invite the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Peter Barry, TD, to make the traditional presentation of shamrock to the President of the United States. Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Friends of Ireland, distinguished guests. You're all very welcome in this house today. I think the feast of St. Patrick is a day which brings all the Irish and all the friends of Ireland together to exchange greetings and to extend the hand of friendship. It is especially fitting, Mr. President, that in paying us the honor of visiting here today, you do so having come from a lunch where we were guests together with another great Irishman, our friend, the Speaker of the House, Mr. Tippaneel. And of course it is no surprise to us in Ireland that two great Irishmen occupied the houses on both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue. And on a personal note, Mr. President and Mayor, I say that in fact William Penn left to come to Ireland from within a quarter of a mile from where Margaret and I live. And I think the traditions and the spirit and the generosity of mind which he brought to the state, which is called after him, and what was then known as the New World should all go well for all of us in attempting to build as we were doing in Ireland and a new world. And I hope that your presence amongst us today reinforces that point. Because naturally we expect no less from the Irish in America and not that we boast of having invented politics, Mr. President. But at least we have tried to ensure that America should never be wanting good politicians and that America in politics should never be wanting in good humour. And I think we both found out at luncheon today, Speaker O'Neill, that the store of Irish jokes far exceeds the quantities in America far exceed those in Ireland. And I don't know what you learned, I think, sir, but I was making notes all through lunch and I think I have sufficient jokes to keep me going until I come back next year. It's a particular privilege for me to welcome so many distinguished friends to our embassy. Those who carry the names of Irish forebears, whether they are Reagan or O'Neill, whether Kennedy or Foley, whether Moynihan or Dodd, whether Cary or Shannon, and many more. Those who cherish proudly their mother's heritage and whose love of Ireland is no less great. Those who have come to know the heritage of Ireland through their friends and neighbours and who join with us today as friends. All who wish to know the generosity of America as a haven for successive generations of immigrants need look no further than this room today. All who seek out the achievements of the Irish in America need hardly search beyond this room today. All who wish to know Ireland's loyal friends in the United States need go no further than this room today. The goodwill, friendship and sympathy with American people we proudly cherish in Ireland and this is special importance to us as we seek in the period ahead to check the violence in Northern Ireland and to end the divisions of the Irish people. We particularly appreciate the support already received from our friends in the United States Congress and the encouragement which you personally have given Mr. President to my Prime Minister when you spoke to him on the phone a few minutes ago. Dr. Gareth Fitzgerald on Taoiseach for his efforts to promote reconciliation between the two Irish political traditions and between our nearest neighbours, Great Britain, who should be our best friend, and Ireland. The strong condemnations of violence which you've all made and your consistent commitment to stemming the flow of US dollars to the agents of terror in Northern Ireland we heartily applaud. The Ireland we seek is one which will never be achieved by violence. Our goal is a new Ireland founded on agreement, free of intolerance and fear, where justice and compassion prevail, where the rights and identities of all traditions are respected and where all the Irish people can find unity and courage in the shared symbol of Patrick which is the symbol of peace and friendship and reconciliation. To this end my government has recently proposed in agreement with the political parties concerned to establish a forum for consultations on the means by which peace and stability can be achieved in a new Ireland and through the democratic process. The views of all those traditions in Ireland who agree with the purpose of these consultations and who reject violence will be sought by the forum. We believe that this initiative can point the way to a lasting peace and we look for the support of our friends in America as we advance these efforts to establish peace, to end division and to move towards new Ireland. Mr President in Ireland we send Shamla to our friends overseas and the wearing of Shamla expresses our hope for peace in the years ahead. It is my privilege sir to present to you today Shamla from Ireland as a mark of the enduring friendship between Ireland and the United States and a symbol of both our hopes for the future of both our countries. You're very welcome. Very welcome. I won't ask you to take this too heavy but maybe you take a little spree. Absolutely fine. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Foreign Minister Barry, Ambassador O'Sullivan, Excellencies, this day that is so special to all Americans but especially to the 30 million of us that take pride in our Irish heritage. I want to thank you for the hospitality that you've again offered me here at the Irish Embassy. Like the seeds of the shamrock Ireland has scattered its sons and daughters to the four winds and everywhere they've taken root they've made a unique contribution to their adopted country. Here in America the men and women whose patron saint we honor today have made an immeasurable contribution to the development of this nation. Even the White House has not been exempt from Ireland's spell. Many of our presidents trace their roots to Ireland and I'm proud to trace mine to Ballypourine in County Tipperary and our links to Ireland are many and varied. We're grateful for the closeness of our historic heritage just as we respect the proud independence of today's Ireland whose troops have worn the blue helmet of the United Nations in so many lands including service today with the unifil forces in Lebanon. I've previously spoken about our concerns over the violence in Ireland and do not need to either elaborate nor in any way detract from what I and my predecessors in this office have already said other than to emphasize again my support for a just and peaceful solution to the problems of Ireland and my strong condemnation of all acts of terrorism and violence. As I've said before we believe that a lasting solution to the problems of Ireland can be found only in a process of reconciliation and I again take this occasion on St. Patrick's Day to join with my fellow Americans who work and pray for an end to terrorism and violence. The Bishop of Down and Conner, Bishop Daley speaking at the funeral mass of Judge William Doyle who was gunned down by the provisional IRA on a Sunday morning as he left church in Belfast told the assembled congregation representing both Irish communities we commit ourselves once more to work for peace and reconciliation. Our belief in peace is unshaken. Our hope for peace is irrepressible. I'm told that in our mass the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland since the days of St. Patrick that there are two great cathedrals on the hills of that town each dedicated to St. Patrick. I understand that late last year the Archbishop of the Protestant Church of Ireland and the primate of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland the incumbents of those cathedrals came together in a spirit of brotherhood and reconciliation to jointly sponsor a town celebration dedicated to peace and harmony. It is that message that I wish my fellow Americans to hear on this St. Patrick's Day. I encourage Americans of all faiths to walk together in such a spirit of reconciliation rejecting violence in any form. Some few but vocal Americans believe that differences between Irishmen can only be solved by violence and intimidation. They are no friends of Ireland. They disgrace the principles for which both Ireland and America stand. I would urge my fellow Americans not to listen to such people. I know that Foreign Minister Barry joins me in calling upon people everywhere to turn away from the moral bankruptcy of the men of violence and to help or heed instead the call for peace and reconciliation that is the true message which St. Patrick himself first brought to Ireland. My friends can I ask you to join with me in a toast to the President of the United States of America. President of the United States. Mr. Foreign Minister, St. Ambassador, those of Irish heritage and those not so fortunate, would you join me in a toast to the President and the people of Ireland? If we don't get down we'll start telling stories. This way your disease is easier. There's a step here.