`Out, out, out' replaced by inclusion as historic day of reconciliation celebrated

Of all the dignitaries gathered in Leinster House for the historic address by Tony Blair, the presence of Dr Garret FitzGerald was perhaps the most poignant.

Fourteen years after enduring Margaret Thatcher's "out . . . out . . . out" riposte, he more than most people must have savoured the change that has since occurred in Anglo-Irish relations.

Yesterday it was "in . . . in . . . in" all the way and having been one of those who helped to wind the clock, as it were, the former Taoiseach had come to hear it strike.

The new era of inclusiveness was everywhere in evidence in the Dail. John Hume and Gerry Adams chatted together in the chamber lobby; Celia Larkin sat comfortably alongside Cherie Blair in the distinguished visitors' gallery; while in the chamber, Albert Reynolds - almost as rare a visitor as Tony Blair these days - was present to hear the British Prime Minister praise his role in the peace process.

Elsewhere, Proinsias De Rossa sat beside his new Labour allies in a completely bearded socialist front bench. And back in the lobby, Labour MEP Bernie Malone joined Gerry Adams for a chat, perhaps about the practical problems caused by all this inclusivity.

Mr Blair began his address with a "thank you" in Irish, and though his pronunciation was almost as hairy as the new Labour leadership, he at least said what he intended. This had not been the case on a recent French trip, he confessed, when in an attempt to express long-time admiration for the French Prime Minister "in his many different positions", he instead made him a very indecent proposal.

There was nothing indecent about Mr Blair's proposal to the Dail, which was that Ireland and Britain should form something like a joint front in their dealings with Europe. He spoke more enthusiastically about this idea than he did about the union: unionists wanted to remain part of the UK and "I value that wish", was his strongest comment on that issue.

In praising Ireland's contribution to British parliamentary history, he singled out Daniel O'Connell and Charles Stewart Parnell, and spoke of "so much shared history, so much shared pain" between the two countries.

The Ceann Comhairle, Seamus Pattison, had earlier introduced Mr Blair with a witty speech which noted that, while Ireland had taken the best of the British parliamentary system, "we do not have hereditary membership, much to the regret of some members".

If Mr Blair had known how many of his audience were the sons and daughters and nephews and grandnieces of former deputies, he might have disagreed. But when he spoke of the trouble caused for both these countries by "the power games of medieval monarchs and feudal chiefs", the latter-day descendants of the Gaelic chieftains nodded in agreement.