did bill clinton visit northern ireland

The New York Times

The learning network | nov. 30, 1995 | president clinton visits northern ireland to support peace process.

Nov. 30, 1995 | President Clinton Visits Northern Ireland to Support Peace Process

Historic Headlines

Learn about key events in history and their connections to today.

• Go to related On This Day page »
• Go to related post from our partner, findingDulcinea »
• See all Historic Headlines »

On Nov. 30, 1995, President Bill Clinton became the first United States chief executive to visit Northern Ireland, touring the cities of Belfast and Derry to show support for the peace process. The New York Times reported, “The president has been more deeply involved than any of his predecessors in the intractable problems of this island, an involvement that caused him to cast aside the fears of other presidents that a trip here might fray relations with the British.”

For decades, during a period known as the Troubles, Northern Ireland had been the scene of sectarian violence between the primarily Protestant unionists, who supported the continued union with Great Britain, and the primarily Roman Catholic nationalists, who wanted Northern Ireland to be united with the Republic of Ireland , which gained its independence from Britain in 1921. Nearly 3,400 civilians, paramilitaries and security forces had been killed from 1969 to 1994, when the nationalist Irish Republican Army and various unionist paramilitary groups agreed to a ceasefire.

President Clinton found that conditions in the country had improved. The Times described Belfast as having been “defaced until recently by miles of barbed wire and hundreds of concrete-filled barrels that formed an awful monument to sectarian savagery,” but now “British Army patrols have all but disappeared and the checkpoints that blocked roads leading from the airport and the Catholic south have been dismantled.”

Two and a half years after the president’s visit, leaders from Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland signed the Good Friday Agreement, which ended direct British rule and called for any change in Northern Ireland’s political status to be determined by a majority of the country’s citizens. In 2007, nationalist and unionist politicians reached a power-sharing agreement for the first time in five years . The Good Friday Agreement is considered the official end of the Troubles, though the actions of extremist paramilitary groups continue to bring sporadic violence.

Connect to Today:

In a 2010 Op-Ed piece that appeared in The Times, Ali Abunimah stated that the United States should apply lessons learned from the Northern Irish peace process to negotiations taking place in the Middle East. Specifically, he argued that Hamas, a political group that rules the Gaza Strip, must be allowed to take part in the peace negotiations, despite the United States, Israel and Europe regarding it as a terrorist organization. Mr. Abunimah compared the situation with Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army being allowed to negotiate peace in Northern Ireland.

Mr. Abunimah also cited a letter by British and Irish negotiators. It argues: “Engaging Hamas does not amount to condoning terrorism or attacks on civilians. In fact, it is a precondition for security and for brokering a workable agreement.”

What do you think about negotiating with political groups like Hamas that many consider terrorist organizations? Is it necessary to include all sides in negotiations in order to achieve a lasting peace? Why or why not?

Learn more about what happened in history on Nov. 30»

Learn more about Historic Headlines and our collaboration with findingDulcinea »

Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this post left out the phrase “in five years,” and the corresponding link, from the sentence “In 2007, nationalist and unionist politicians reached a power-sharing agreement for the first time in five years .”

Comments are no longer being accepted.

What's Next

Bill Clinton's Visit to Northern Ireland

Login using your Email Address

Forgot Password?

• Create new account
• Reset your password

Bill Clinton's first visit to Northern Ireland in 1995

It's been over 25 years since former US President Bill Clinton's visit to Belfast

• 15:07, 13 NOV 2021

We're taking a look back at some of the famous faces that have paid Northern Ireland a visit down through the years - including Bill Clinton.

So did you know that Clinton was the first US President to visit Northern Ireland?

Clinton and his family came on a three-day visit to Britain and Northern Ireland which began November 29, 1995. The former US President arrived in Northern Ireland on November 30.

Read more: Belfast gig venues that are no longer with us

Bill Clinton managed to squeeze in a lot of appearances during his visit - from talks with Belfast entrepreneurs and managers at the East Belfast Enterprise Park, to delivering his speech at the Mackie Metal Plant - listened to by local schoolchildren David Sterrett and Catherine Hamill who gave their own moving speeches about peace.

Clinton also made time to visit residents of the Falls and Shankill Road, showing his genuine interest in the local people and the peace process.

Have a look at the selection of photos from Bill Clinton's visit to Northern Ireland back in 1995.

If you have any interesting photos or stories about famous people visiting Northern Ireland, we would love to hear from you - d rop us an email at [email protected]

Mackie Metal Plant

Bill Clinton giving his speech at the Mackie Meat Plant in Belfast with David Sterrett and Catherine Hamill pictured on either side

David Sterrett and Catherine Hamill making their speeches

Bill Clinton giving Catherine Hamill a hug after her speech

Former US President Bill Clinton waving to the audience

The Presidential Car

The Presidential Car driving Bill Clinton on Falls Road

Greeting the crowd

Bill Clinton shaking hands with residents of Falls Road

Bill Clinton meeting with Shankill Road residents during a stroll through Belfast

• Belfast City Centre

Bill Clinton making a speech

• Shankill Road
• Daybreakers
• Most Recent

How Irish are the Clintons?

Mar 11, 2020

On St. Patrick’s Day in the United States, Americans like to indulge in traditions such as parades, wearing green, and drinking green beer to celebrate the Irish heritage in our country. Those celebrations tend to be fun but don’t often account for the centuries-old relationship between Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the United States. Both President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton have made significant contributions to the relations between these countries. 

President Bill Clinton changed the United States’ relationship with Ireland and Great Britain through his involvement to bring about a peace deal between the Unionist and Nationalist parties of Northern Ireland. While campaigning in 1992, Clinton promised to give a United States visa to Gerry Adams , the leader of the Sinn Féin party, which had ties to the Irish Republican Army. In 1994, against the advice of advisors, Clinton granted the visa to Adams. This act was one of the reasons the Irish Republican Army ordered a ceasefire in 1994 .

On November 30, 1995, President Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Northern Ireland . Until that time, the United States had not engaged in the conflict between Northern Ireland and Great Britain . President Clinton was the first president to visit Northern Ireland. The President and First Lady went to show support for the peace process between the political parties. The Unionists wanted to remain a part of Great Britain, and the Nationalists wanted to become a part of the Republic of Ireland, which secured independence in 1921.

As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton played an important role in providing a voice for the Northern Irish women. She hosted teas for women of the Unionist and Nationalist parties. She also started a conference called Vital Voices , which allowed women leaders in Northern Ireland to be heard. One of her final trips as Secretary of State was to Belfast, where she and her husband had first arrived nearly twenty years earlier.

In April 1998, the Belfast Accord (also referred to as the Good Friday Accord) was signed. This agreement aimed to create a government where the vote of the majority would determine if Northern Ireland would remain under the rule of Great Britain. The leaders of the two main political parties in Northern Ireland, John Hume of the Social Democratic and Labour Party and David Trimble of the Ulster Unionist Party, jointly won the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize for their work in signing the agreement. 

President Clinton’s diplomatic efforts continue to have long reaching effects. He was inducted into the Irish American Hall of Fame in 2011 for his work in the 1990s. In January 2020, Queens University in Belfast appointed Hillary Rodham Clinton the 11th Chancellor of the university . She will serve as Chancellor for five years and is the first female chancellor of the university.

Twenty-two of the forty-five United States’ presidents have claimed Irish heritage, including Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. John Robert Greene says there’s no proof that Arkansan president Bill Clinton has Irish ancestry. That small fact did not stop Clinton from becoming one of the most influential presidents in Irish-Great Britain relations. He is not the only one with a bit of Irish history, however. Abraham Lincoln was a staunch Irish supporter , despite protests from his wife Mary Todd. His support of the Irish was so prominent that 15,000 Irish Americans fought for the Union during the Civil War. This support affected the Confederacy so much that Jefferson Davis sent a Bishop and priest to Ireland to try to convince the Catholic Church to prevent any more immigrants from joining the Union Army.

While Clinton was the first acting president to visit Northern Ireland, Ulysses S Grant was the first former president to visit Ireland in 1879 . Not every Irish citizen was excited to see the former president, though. Grant had sided with the anti-Irish and anti-Catholic Know-Nothing movement in the 1850s. The Catholic members of the Cork City Town Council objected so strongly to Grant’s visit that he changed his itinerary and visited the city of Ulster instead.

President John F. Kennedy was the first Irish Catholic president . His Catholic roots were the subject of controversy as Protestant Americans wanted to make sure there was ample separation between the Catholic Church and American democracy. Irish ancestry was still a hot topic when Ronald Reagan ran for president. Reagan denied having Irish ancestry, instead saying he was British. While Reagan denied Irish ancestry, he was a fan of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations at the White House , reveling in the festivities.

Whenever Irish prime ministers come to visit the White House, the traditional gift is a vase of green shamrocks. You can tell its St. Patrick’s Day at the White House because of the emerald green water flowing from the fountain. First Lady Michelle Obama started this tradition . Green hasn’t always been associated with the Patron Saint of Ireland. St. Patrick was originally associated with the color blue !

Recent Posts

• Sign of the Times Exhibit Opens December 11, 2020
• Statement from Clinton House Museum Board of Directors
• New Poster Exhibit: Votes For Women
• Clinton House Museum Earns Bicycle Friendly Business Recognition
• This Place Matters

Recent Comments

• October 2020
• September 2020
• January 2020
• August 2019
• January 2019
• December 2018
• September 2018
• February 2018
• Collections
• Special Events
• Entries feed
• Comments feed
• WordPress.org

• Entertainment
• Events Sports Podcasts Better Planet Vault Mightier Autos Newsletters Unconventional Vantage Experts Voices
• Subscribe for $1
• Better Planet
• Newsletters
• Unconventional

Why Ireland Loves Bill Clinton: 'I Will Never Forget'

• Former U.S. President Bill Clinton remains a popular figure in Ireland.
• Clinton will visit Northern Ireland next week to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
• Clinton's popularity in Ireland is in part due to his role in the Northern Ireland peace process and his visits to the island during his presidency.

In the small Irish seaside town of Ballybunion, County Kerry, visitors might be surprised to find former U.S. President Bill Clinton teeing up a golf swing right outside the local police station.

The statue of Clinton was erected in September 1998 and memorializes his time at the local golf course during one of his visits to the island of Ireland during his eight-year presidency.

Clinton remains a popular figure in the country and played a key role in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. It was a landmark deal in establishing peace in Northern Ireland after decades of sectarian conflict.

"The idea that it weathered Brexit is a miracle because Brexit was aimed right at the heart of the Good Friday Agreement, even if not intentionally," Clinton told Irish state broadcaster RTÉ last week.

He was referring to the U.K.'s decision to leave the European Union ( EU ). This has complicated the situation between Ireland and Northern Ireland and raised serious concerns about a hard border across the island.

His wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , serves as chancellor of Queens University Belfast (QUB). She told RTÉ in the same interview that Brexit has set Northern Ireland back, "creating a very difficult situation for Northern Ireland in the midst of separating from the European Union."

Those comments are likely to find a receptive audience in the Republic of Ireland, where the U.K.'s vote to leave the EU remains a matter of serious concern.

• Anti-vaxxer RFK Jr. takes aim at Joe Biden in more ways than one
• Capitol rioter saw "cult deprogrammer" for "stolen election" belief: Lawyer
• Wisconsin's surprising election result is a good omen for Biden

Memories of Clinton

The former president's enduring popularity in Ireland could have just as much to do with his personal appeal as it does with his administration's successes in foreign policy.

No other U.S. president visited Ireland so frequently, and his trips appear to have made a lasting impression. When Clinton stopped in the city of Limerick in 1998, a local pub was renamed his honor, and customers happily drank in Bill Clinton's on Lower Cecil Street for some years afterward.

Some locals remember the bathroom doors advising patrons they were for "Bills" and "Monicas:" a reference to the former president's affair with White House intern, Monica Lewinsky.

Located on the River Shannon in Ireland's Midwest, Limerick residents can sometimes believe that their city is overlooked. Bill Clinton's visit made them feel differently.

Stuart McNamara's family was involved in the local bakery trade in Limerick for generations. He was just 6 years old when Clinton came to his hometown, but he recalled it fondly over drinks.

"I don't think I even really understood what or where America was when I was 6, but from the way adults talked, I knew the visit was something important," McNamara told Newsweek.

"Watching President Clinton wave to the crowd as he passed, and feeling the excitement of the crowd who gathered to see him, was something I will never forget," McNamara added.

Taking Northern Ireland Seriously

Diarmaid Ferriter is a professor of modern Irish history at University College Dublin (UCD). He told Newsweek that Clinton's genuine interest in Irish affairs, and in working for peace, were major contributors to his image in Ireland.

"If you look at the broad sweep of American presidential involvement in Ireland, Clinton's carried by far the biggest charge," the professor said.

Ferriter noted, "the commitments he made before he was elected president, that he would take Northern Ireland seriously." He added that it was during former President Jimmy Carter 's era that "the White House actually kind of broke its silence on Northern Ireland."

Those who had been trying to break that silence included the late John Hume, a nationalist politician from Northern Ireland. He was one of the most prominent figures in the history of the peace process and shared a Nobel Peace Prize in 1998 for his efforts.

"Hume had been attempting to knock on doors in America to try to get them to get the political establishment engaged in Northern Ireland," Ferriter explained. He added that it was "a tough task because of America's relationship with Britain, and they didn't want to be dragged into that whole area."

"So, the importance of Clinton was that he took this and ran with it, and obviously he's established a particular emotional, as well as political, connection with Ireland," Ferriter added.

"He's been here quite a bit. I also remember him coming over for the funeral of Martin McGuinness [in 2017], which was an illustration, I suppose, of the extent of the engagement," Ferriter said.

McGuinness, a Sinn Féin politician, had served as deputy first minister of Northern Ireland. During the Troubles, the period of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, McGuinness had been a leader of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, a paramilitary group that was designated as a terrorist organization.

"But Clinton was obviously somebody who wanted to strike this up as a foreign policy success for himself as well," Ferriter added. "So it's not entirely selfless or self-sacrificing."

"It's good for the White House to be seen to be using that diplomatic heft it had to try to crack that Northern Ireland nut. It was such an intractable problem," he said.

"It's partly about being able to chalk up certain successes himself. But there's also a genuine interest there that was shared, obviously, with Hillary Clinton," Ferriter added.

An Enduring Commitment

Katy Hayward is a professor at The Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at QUB. The institute is named after former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, who was a key figure in the Northern Ireland peace process.

"I was in Derry in 1995 and 1996 when he was over and [making] famous speeches, sort of iconic moments. He was really speaking directly to the people," Hayward told Newsweek.

"It wasn't just being behind closed doors with the parties themselves, that kind of role that he had as a charismatic figure," she went on.

"That's something that means he's quite different to some of the others," said Hayward, pointing out that Clinton still visits.

"The fact he still comes. I think that's a sort of enduring commitment," she added.

Biden and Clinton in Ireland

Like Clinton, President Joe Biden makes no secret of his affinity for Ireland , and he's made repeated references to his Irish ancestors. The president is likely to meet distant relatives on planned visits to County Louth and County Mayo this week.

He'll begin his visit in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he'll mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement before heading south of the border.

Biden was a senator during Clinton's presidency and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In that role, he encouraged the Clinton administration to commit time and resources to help resolve the conflict in Northern Ireland.

Former President Clinton will visit Northern Ireland next week. He'll attend a conference at QUB on the Good Friday Agreement, hosted by his wife in her role as chancellor.

While Biden is expected to be feted in during his visit to Ireland , Bill Clinton still holds a special appeal for people in both parts of the island. His role in the peace process and his famous personal touch won't soon fade from Irish memories.

About the writer

Darragh Roche is a U.S. News Reporter based in Limerick, Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. politics. He has covered the Biden administration, election polling and the U.S. Supreme Court. Darragh joined Newsweek in 2020 from PoliticusUSA and had previously worked at The Contemptor. He attended the University of Limerick, Ireland and ELTE, Hungary.  Languages: English, German.

You can get in touch with Darragh by emailing [email protected] .

• Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
• Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
• Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
• Comment on articles
• Newsweek app updates on-the-go

Top stories

Everything Donald Trump Has Said About North Carolina's Mark Robinson

Could Rick Scott Lose in Florida?

Sean Combs' New Life Behind Bars Eating Swedish Meatballs, Bean Burgers

Pro-Trump Republican Mark Robinson Says He Won't Drop Out After CNN Bombshell

Which US Presidents have visited Ireland?

Seven different presidents have visited ireland while in office, including president john f. kennedy, who famously became the first serving president to visit ireland in 1963. .

US President Joe Biden will make his first visit to Ireland as president next week, but he is by no means the first sitting US President to visit the Emerald Isle. 

Seven different presidents have visited Ireland while in office, including President John F. Kennedy , who famously became the first serving president to visit Ireland in 1963. 

IrishCentral took a look at all of the previous presidential visits to Ireland ahead of Biden's visit in April. 

US President Joe Biden ?? is coming Home to #Ireland ?? Building on a rich history of US Presidents being welcomed to Ireland, bringing a message of Peace, Partnership & Prosperity ? This is #GlobalIreland ? ?? Info ? https://t.co/iJkENJjmJ1 @POTUS @WhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/JGTY6rWjYI — Irish Foreign Ministry (@dfatirl) April 5, 2023

John F. Kennedy

Kennedy greets the crowd during his visit to Ireland. Getty

Kennedy's historic visit to Ireland took place in June 1963, just over four months before his assassination in Dallas the following November. 

JFK visited his ancestral homeland in County Wexford during the visit in addition to visiting Dublin, Galway, Cork, and Limerick. 

Kennedy also became the first foreign head of state to address the Dáil during the four-day visit, which he later referred to as "the best four days of his life". 

The four-day visit became one of the most important cultural events to take place in Ireland in the 1960s and helped solidify relations between Ireland and the United States. 

A US diplomat remarked that Ireland was "hoarse from cheering" by the time Kennedy left. 

Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish!

Richard Nixon

Nixon on October 3, 1970.

Richard Nixon undertook a three-day state visit to Ireland in October 1970, meeting with then-Taoiseach Jack Lynch.

Ireland changed dramatically in the seven years between Kennedy's homecoming and Nixon's visit, with student protests taking place in the street and the early days of the Troubles unfolding in Northern Ireland. 

Nixon paid his respects to his ancestors at a Quaker graveyard in County Kildare, but his visit was received with far less fanfare than Kennedy's seven years previous. 

Ronald Reagan

Reagan celebrating St. Patrick's Day

Neither Gerald Ford nor Jimmy Carter visited Ireland as President, meaning 14 years passed between Nixon's visit and the next presidential visit in June 1984 when Ronald Reagan made a five-day visit . 

Reagan met with Irish President Patrick Hillery and Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald, while he also visited his ancestral homeland in Ballyporeen, County Tipperary. 

Nixon made an address in the village on June 3 and discussed the "Irish-American tradition". He later paid a visit to a local pub that had been renamed "The Ronald Reagan Lounge" in his honor. 

Love Irish history? Share your favorite stories with other history buffs in the IrishCentral History Facebook group.

Bill Clinton 

Bill Clinton meets Gerry Adams his visit to Northern Ireland in 1995. Public Domain

The first sitting president to visit Ireland on more than one occasion, Bill Clinton first visited Ireland in December 1995 after his historic visit to Derry before visiting again in September 1998 and December 2000. 

Clinton met with Irish President Mary Robinson and Taoiseach John Bruton during his first visit in 1995 and subsequently met with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern during his visit in September 1998. 

Clinton made several public addresses during his latter two visits and played an incredibly important role in the Northern Ireland peace process. 

George W Bush

George Bush and Bertie Ahern on St. Patrick's Day in 2002. Getty

Bush also visited Ireland on more than one occasion, visiting in June 2004 and again in February 2006. 

Neither of Bush's visits was an official state visit. 

He visited in 2004 to attend a EU-US summit in Dromoland Castle, briefly meeting with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. 

The visit was marked by widespread protests against the war in Iraq. 

Bush only spent 12 hours in Ireland in February 2006, meeting with US Marines who had stopped at Shannon Airport en route to Iraq. 

Barack Obama 

May 23, 2011: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in Hayes Bar in Barack\'s ancestral home of Moneygall, Co Offaly.

Obama made a 24-hour state visit to Ireland in May 2011, visiting his ancestral homeland in Moneygall, County Offaly. 

Obama also met with President Mary McAleese and Taoiseach Enda Kenny during the visit in addition to making a public address at College Green in Dublin. 

Obama's visit left a lasting legacy on Ireland and led to the creation of the infamous Barack Obama Plaza service station in County Offaly. 

Donald Trump 

Donald Trump meets Leo Varadkar in June 2019. Rolling News

Donald Trump spent a night in his golf resort in Doonbeg, County Clare , after a state visit to the United Kingdom in June 2019. 

Trump played a round of golf at his luxury hotel and met with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar during the short visit. 

He also received a warm welcome from the residents of Doonbeg during his short stay in Ireland. 

Related: US Politics

Hudson Valley Irish Fest returns to New York next week!

O'Neill: History of the Irish surname and famous faces

On This Day: “The Plough in the Stars” playwright Sean O'Casey passed away

Top caravan and camping sites for your Irish vacation

How big is Ireland? The answer might surprise you!

The top Irish filming locations from "The Banshees of Inisherin"

It's halfway to St. Patrick's Day 2025!

UNESCO Heritage Sites and culture around Ireland

Selling out fast! Only a few tickets left for Andy Cooney’s Cruise of Irish Stars

WATCH: Our favorite Irish dance moments to celebrate International Irish Dance Day

• Israel-Gaza War
• War in Ukraine
• US Election
• Kamala Harris
• Donald Trump
• US & Canada
• UK Politics
• N. Ireland Politics
• Scotland Politics
• Wales Politics
• Latin America
• Middle East
• In Pictures
• BBC InDepth
• Executive Lounge
• Technology of Business
• Women at the Helm
• Future of Business
• Science & Health
• Artificial Intelligence
• AI v the Mind
• Film & TV
• Art & Design
• Entertainment News
• Arts in Motion
• Destinations
• Australia and Pacific
• Caribbean & Bermuda
• Central America
• North America
• South America
• World’s Table
• Culture & Experiences
• The SpeciaList
• Natural Wonders
• Weather & Science
• Climate Solutions
• Sustainable Business
• Green Living

Good Friday Agreement: Bill Clinton says getting involved was 'leap of faith'

Former US president Bill Clinton has said his decision to become involved in the Northern Ireland peace process was a "leap of faith".

Mr Clinton was speaking at an event in Belfast to the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

He was on a panel with Sir Tony Blair and former taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

"We'd like to tell you that we had it all thought through, but the truth is we made up a lot of it as we went along," the former president said.

"We had to wing it."

Mr Clinton also said his Irish-American advisers warned him about the political price he could pay for appointing a special US envoy to Northern Ireland in the early 1990s.

"They told me: 'You have no idea how hard it is going to be for you to keep this commitment. People will think you're insane'," Mr Clinton said.

"The State Department had operated for decades under a theory that our relationship with the UK was so important we couldn't mess it up."

The agreement, signed on 10 April 1998, was designed to bring an end to the Troubles and established power-sharing institutions at Stormont that involved nationalists and unionists governing Northern Ireland together.

'Sign of strength'

The three-day Agreement 25 conference at Queen's University Belfast is hosting many global figures, including Mr Clinton and his wife Hillary.

Earlier, former US senator George Mitchell called on political parties in Northern Ireland to compromise to keep the peace and resolve the Stormont impasse.

Mr Mitchell chaired the talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement,

He said people were still wrestling with their doubts and disagreements, but the deal had set an example for peace around the world and urged people not to let it "slip away".

"It is not a sign of weakness to resolve your differences by democratic and peaceful means," he said.

"To the contrary, it is a sign of strength and of wisdom, and it clearly reflects the will of the overwhelming majority of the people of Northern Ireland."

Senator Mitchell called on the people of Northern Ireland not to give up on their belief the future could be better.

He also urged the current political leaders to act with the "courage and wisdom" that their predecessors had done.

Northern Ireland is currently without a power-sharing government.

Its second-largest party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), pulled out of the executive in February 2022 in protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol - the trade arrangements for Northern Ireland that resulted from the original Brexit deal between the UK and the EU.

Opening the conference, Hillary Clinton said the Good Friday Agreement was a triumph of diplomacy and a testament to democracy.

The former US secretary of state, who is chancellor of Queen's University, said the credit for peace ultimately went to the brave people of Northern Ireland who took risks.

'Collective spirit'

Sir Tony Blair recalled the final week of the talks when he and Mr Ahern went to Belfast, even though the taoiseach's mother had just died.

"He took lots of abuse during the course of this process - people would come and be really rude to him," Blair says of Ahern.

"I got offended on his behalf, but he was never really offended."

He said the negotiations were a rollercoaster, and the world's media camped outside Castle Buildings where negotiations were taking place added to the pressure the negotiators felt.

"As we carried on through the days and nights, there came a strange collective spirit of: 'Well we can't go out there and say it didn't work.'"

At Monday's event, Mr Ahern called on the the DUP "to stay the road with us".

"The people of Northern Ireland need them, the people on this island need them," he said.

Recalling the talks leading up to the agreement, Mr Ahern said "the issues were huge" and that dealing with the constitutional issues on both sides was a massive undertaking.

He praised Mr Blair made saying "they were big calls and you did a good job on them".

What is the Good Friday Agreement?

Also known as the Belfast Agreement, it was a political deal designed to bring an end to 30 years of violent conflict known as the Troubles.

Signed on 10 April 1998 and approved by public votes in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, it is based on the idea of co-operation between communities.

It helped to set up a new government for Northern Ireland, representing both nationalists and unionists.

Read more: What is the Good Friday Agreement?

Last week US President Joe Biden visited the island of Ireland over four days to mark the 25th anniversary of the agreement.

He hailed the "tremendous progress" since the deal was signed, adding that Northern Ireland had been "transformed by peace; made technicolour by peace; made whole by peace".

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will also be in Northern Ireland this week, to pay tribute to the contribution young people have made to peace.

Among those events will be a gala dinner to honour those who signed the deal.

Mr Sunak said he was due to meet some of the leading architects behind the peace agreement.

He will acknowledge their "courage, imagination and perseverance" when he gives the closing speech at the conference.

Read more about the agreement

EXPLAINER: What is the agreement?

ANALYSIS: Is it still fit for purpose?

REFLECTION: The 'bitter' price of peace

Declan Harvey and Tara Mills explore the text of the Good Friday Agreement, scrutinising the deal's wording and hearing from some of the people who helped get it across the line.

Click here to listen on BBC Sounds.

Does the Good Friday Agreement still work for NI?

Clinton urges return to power sharing in ni, the clinton connection to northern ireland.