Political differences may be set aside for a short period today when both the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, attend the official opening of the newly-refurbished Dillon House in Ballaghaderreen, the headquarters of the Western Development Commission.
Mr Bruton's attendance is primarily due to strong Fine Gael connections with the house.
The former Fine Gael leader, James Dillon, who died in 1986, lived in the house, as did his father, John Dillon - a prominent member of the Land League and associate of Charles Stewart Parnell - and his grandfather, John Blake Dillon.
John Blake Dillon, who was born in Ballaghaderreen in 1814, was a founder member of the Young Ireland movement and also helped found the Nation newspaper in 1842. He was also active in the rising of 1848.
The house is one of the most important buildings in Ballaghaderreen, its imposing three-storey facade fronting on to the square in the centre of the town.
It was built around 1820 although the OPW believes it may have been adapted from an even older 18th-century house.
After the death of James Dillon in 1986 the house was sold. A plan by the new owner to set up a nursing home did not work out and when Dillon House was again put on the market in 1989, it was bought by Roscommon County Council.
Early in 1997 it was suggested that the house could be used as the headquarters of the Western Development Commission. Given that the commission has responsibility for the seven western counties from Clare to Donegal, on this occasion at least, Ballaghaderreen could be regarded as central.
The OPW has overseen the extensive refurbishment of Dillon House. Mr Paraic Mac Lochlainn, the senior architect on the project, said it was very important that the building was restored as it occupied a pivotal position on the square. And apart from the contribution of the Dillon family to Irish history, the interior was also an important example of a Victorian townhouse.
He said the building was in very poor structural order when work started in 1997. Major work was required to make floors, stairs, and much of the walls structurally sound. An extension was also added to accommodate the new Ballaghaderreen library.
The Victorian interior was preserved, with cornices, door panelling and fireplaces being reused or replicated. Fire surrounds were restored by a Claremorris firm.
A number of paintings have been acquired for the house, including two Ballaghaderreen streetscapes by local artist Seamus Coleman, three Dillon portraits by Gillian Lawlor and a landscape by Eoin Mac Lochlainn. A 1962 oil painting of James Dillon, who was regarded as one of the finest parliamentarians of his day, will also hang in the new front library, formerly the family dining room.