The Republic's identity could be most strongly expressed inside the European Union, the President of the European Commission, Mr Romano Prodi, said before leaving the State yesterday.
The EU, he said, was the only political initiative in history in which smaller and larger countries were equal and the democratic process of building the process was guaranteed.
"The role of Ireland is certainly bigger than the relative population of the country because of the strong identity, because of the tradition of the country.
"I think that nothing is more credible in this case than the past experience. For sure this trend and this attitude will not change for the future, so we wait for an Irish contribution to the new Europe."
He said he had had a frank exchange of views, "even with people having completely different views".
There was a need for a bilateral process of improving EU institutions. Their processes needed more clarity and transparency, but member-countries needed to convey that national goals could best be achieved by working together in the EU.
Referring to the neutrality concerns of the anti-Nice Treaty campaigners, he said there was nothing in the treaty that should preoccupy Irish mothers with regard to their sons.
He reiterated his view that fears of the effect of the treaty were based on sentiment and he had tried to understand those. He understood that a state which had made such progress in such a short time could become afraid of losing those gains.
This progress and further progress could only be guaranteed by the EU, he said.
A visit to the home of the Liberator, Daniel O'Connell, at Derrynane on the Ring of Kerry became a defining moment for Mr Prodi during his trip to Ireland.
Disregarding the word "independence", he had come to see that the reasons for the No vote were rooted in what he termed identity. "The great desire is for identity . . . the sense that the people and the country must not lose their roots," he said on Saturday when asked if he understood the reasons for the Nice Treaty rejection.
On the gravel outside O'Connell's country house in Derrynane, Mr Prodi said he had learned that the "practical manifestation of this spirit [of identity] is here". He was surprised to learn of the "deep, intellectual and political inter connections" between south Kerry and Europe at that period.
Being an Irish man and a European was just as possible today as in the Liberator's day. "In Europe the Irish will be proud to be Irish. It is a voluntary democratic union," he said.
A minibus took the dignitaries on their half-circle round the ring shortly after lunch.
The sun shone brightly in Sneem at an impromptu halt where parties of Belgian tourists were stopped in their tracks by the sight of the European President.
The vehicle carrying the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and Mr Prodi, with Ms Celia Larkin, Ms Flavia Franzoni-Prodi and Ms Geraldine Byrne in the back seat, ended its trip at the Moorings at Portmagee.
The party stayed at the Park Hotel. They had dinner at Sheen Falls on Saturday evening and attended Mass at Kenmare Parish Church yesterday.