Sinn Fein leader Mr Gerry Adams left New York last night for Canada after a two-week US tour that included stops in five cities and a celebration of his 50th birthday in a New York nightclub.
Mr Adams finished his fundraising tour in Boston after meeting American political and business leaders in New York, Philadelphia, Connecticut and Albany. On Saturday, he appeared at Webster Hall, a Manhattan nightclub, for a birthday party where hundreds of revellers had gathered to help him celebrate.
During the three-hour party, Mr Adams watched from a balcony above the dancing masses and received an impromptu birthday greeting from a group of Celtic supporters kitted out in the club's green and white jerseys, several wearing kilts. Mr Adams, sitting on a white-backed chair, tipped his glass slightly to acknowledge the crowd below as they chanted "happy birthday".
The Celtic supporters had left another message scrawled on a banner draped over the balcony a few feet from where the Sinn Fein leader sat: "Happy birthday Gerry from your fellow Fenian bastards, the New York Fenian Bhoys".
Between each of the musical acts, a bright green projection of the word "Saoirse" faded back and forth on a screen over the stage.
After a montage video of scenes of struggle from Northern Ireland, Mr Adams stepped on to the main stage to a chorus of "we love you Gerry, we do". He blew out his birthday cake candles, listened to his official birthday greetings and, clasping a New York Yankees baseball cap, preached to the converted: "The struggle for Irish freedom is going to succeed," he said to raucous cheers.
"Be sure of one thing, we are going to get freedom, we are going to get justice, we are going to get everlasting peace in Ireland. I'm going off now to have some birthday cake and have a pint," Mr Adams said.
With that, the hall filled with the sounds of dance tracks, and the party went on.