St. Patrick’s Day is a day for everyone to feel a little bit Irish. As the child and grandchild of Irish immigrants, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and sharing Ireland’s rich culture and history with my family and friends has always been a cherished time. And, I’m not alone. There are tens of millions of Irish-Americans, and we are a strong community that loves the United States of America and is proud of the country we came from.
St. Patrick’s Day has also become a time for us to express our deep respect and admiration for the struggles of the Irish people, both past and present. The pursuit of peace in Northern Ireland has been a long and hard fought battle, but one that was needed. For some people it may be hard to remember, but in the latter decades of the 20th century Northern Ireland was in some respects a slow-motion war zone. Lives were lost, property was destroyed, and divisions were deepened and hardened. The conflict between Irish Republicans and Loyalists was deemed intractable by many, with opposing visions of the future seemingly impossible to reconcile. Those of us who closely followed the situation, including the Irish-American community, were distraught by ongoing persecution of those seeking change and the inability of the international community to step in and facilitate a path forward. Heck, the United States wouldn’t even give Sinn Fein leaders visas to come to the United States. During my time in the New York State Assembly and as an active participant in the Irish-American community, we tried to shine a spotlight on the urgent and pressing need for change as well as raise awareness amongst the American population.
{mosads}The Good Friday Agreement was exactly the tool we were looking for. It was essentially a diplomatic bargain that allowed those of different identities and traditions in Northern Ireland the space and ability to seek their political goals peacefully. The United States played an essential role in reaching the Agreement – quite frankly, it may not have happened at all without the Clinton administration’s dogged determination to bring about change.
Many people played a role in moving the agreement forward – and one of the most consistent supporters of both the agreement itself and ensuring its long-term success is none other than Hillary Clinton. Her contributions are a result of her hard work both in the public arena and behind the scenes.
As the first lady of the United States and as a senator, Hillary Clinton traveled to Northern Ireland multiple times. She made a pledge to the government and people of Ireland and Northern Ireland that in the U.S. would be a continued partner in the process towards peace. She became deeply involved in reaching out to and meeting with leaders on every side of the debate, including, very importantly, after Good Friday was agreed to. That was essential because the Agreement didn’t simply solve every problem in one fell swoop – it set up a process and series of structures and agreements that enabled future progress. Keeping that progress on track required vigilance, cooperation, and support from friends in the international community – something Hillary Clinton immediately engaged in. For example, in 1998, just months after Good Friday, she was already helping lead a conference for 400 women in Belfast to encourage and support their efforts in taking on a more active role in the peace process and in Irish politics in general.
Her efforts continue to this day. While the peace process has moved off the front pages, Hillary Clinton never forgot her commitment to supporting peace in the North. In the Senate, she continued to demonstrate her commitment to peace and reconciliation. Every year around St. Patrick’s Day, she met with visiting leaders on all sides of the conflict to make sure the process was moving in the right direction. In 2004, she again traveled to Ireland and met with the Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, delivered a speech on peace and reconciliation, and visited the families of victims of the conflict.
She continued these efforts as Secretary of State, where she helped cement the gains made in the Good Friday Agreement through the 2010 Hillsborough Castle Agreement. That was a much needed step forward on the devolution of policing and judicial powers to authorities in the North of Ireland. While that might sound technical to those new to the issue, it was a milestone moment because the actions and composition of the security services in the North had been a very serious, core point of contention for decades.
These are some of Hillary Clinton’s more high profile efforts, but it is the way she makes herself consistently available to ensure the success of peace that has most impressed the Irish-American community. Irish leaders from across the country have acknowledged her commitment and her efforts. In 2007 Irish America Magazine named her their “Person of the Year”, and this year, Hillary Clinton will deservedly be inducted into Irish America Magazine’s Hall of Fame.
There is still a lot of work still be done in Northern Ireland, but today we are light years away from where things stood at the height of the armed conflict. A lot of people deserve credit for the progress that has been made, and Irish-Americans know Hillary Clinton is one of the key members on that list. She has always reserved time and energies to making sure the peace process works, and she has earned the trust of our community. At the end of the day, what Americans share most with the Irish people is a faith in our families and a belief in a brighter future. Such a future is possible because of the hard work of people like Hillary Clinton.
Crowley has represented congressional districts in New York City since 1999. He sits on the Ways and Means Committee.