Attendees:Leading figures from the worlds of politics, business and sport attended Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's address to a joint session of the British houses of parliament.
In addition to prime minister Tony Blair, the speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin MP, and the speaker of the House of Lords, Baroness Hayman, made brief contributions. The attendance of about 500 people included current and former members of the British cabinet, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, SDLP leader Mark Durkan and former SDLP leader John Hume.
Also in attendance were: chancellor of the exchequer Gordon Brown; deputy prime minister John Prescott; defence secretary Des Browne; Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain; former prime minister Sir John Major; former Northern Ireland secretaries Peter Brooke, Paul Murphy, Tom King and Roy Mason; former ministers at the Northern Ireland Office Michael Mates and Lord Dubs; and the British ambassador to Ireland, David Reddaway.
The head of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, Gen John de Chastelain, Forum on Europe chairman Senator Maurice Hayes, Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly William Hay and his predecessor Eileen Bell were also present.
Others included: former British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock; Baron Eames; former RTÉ director general Bob Collins; Lord Alderdice; former permanent secretaries at the Northern Ireland Office Sir John Chilcott and Sir Joseph Pilling; Baron [ Ken] Maginnis; Ulster Unionist MP Lady Sylvia Hermon; SDLP member of the Northern Ireland Assembly Alasdair MacDonnell; Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell and the party's spokesman on Northern Ireland, Lembit Opik; Lord Rogan; former British chancellor Kenneth Clarke; US ambassador to the UK Robert Tuttle; Lord Barnett; and Conservative spokesman on Northern Ireland David Lidington.
Prominent figures from the worlds of business, arts and sport were also present, including: the chief executive of British Airways, Willie Walsh; former Irish rugby internationals Hugo MacNeill and Keith Wood; fashion designer Paul Costelloe; actor Fiona Shaw; historians Roy Foster and Marianne Elliott; Formula One racing impresario Eddie Jordan; novelist Edna O'Brien; and Fianna Fáil members Des Richardson and Paschal Mooney.
Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain said afterwards: "This is an epoch-making day because what today cemented. . . is this now absolutely unbroken cord between Britain and Ireland which puts to bed . . . the difficulties of our historic relationship."
