Fund-raising could start soon to buy a retirement home in the North to reward President Clinton for his efforts in the peace process.
The President heard the news at an Irish-American event here to give an award to his major fundraiser, Mr Terry McAuliffe.
The proposal for a combined residence and peace centre situated symbolically near the Border was made by Ms Stella O'Leary, president of Irish-American Democrats, and got an enthusiastic reception at the function in the Washington Hotel overlooking the White House.
Mr Clinton, standing behind Ms O'Leary, looked startled at the news and conferred hurriedly with Mr McAuliffe.
He soon recovered and wisecracked his way through his speech, praising the man dubbed "the greatest fund-raiser in the history of the universe" by his friends and "a walking dollar sign" by his critics.
Secret service agents looked aghast at the heaving masses, with the front row about three feet from the most powerful man in the world.
But everyone was a Democrat with Irish blood and ready to lay down their life for the man Ms O'Leary called "the best friend Ireland ever had in the White House".
The President presented Mr McAuliffe (he has relatives in Co Clare) with a piece of Waterford Crystal.
He also got in a plug for Vice-President Al Gore, who "stood with me" when he got involved in Northern Ireland and "a huge part of the permanent government thought I had taken leave of my senses."
To remind him of his Irish ancestry, the Cassidy coat-of-arms hung near the rostrum.
Mr Clinton said he had discovered that his mother's parents were both Cassidys and Grishams and he may be related to the thriller writer, John Grisham.
He wrote to the writer to tell him he was delighted "not only because I like his books but because of all the relatives who turned up, he was the only one who had any money."