IN A MAJOR public event that will mark one of the highlights of his 11 years in office, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will today address a joint session of the United States Congress and afterwards will meet President Bush in the White House. Stephen Collins, Political Editor reports from Washington
Mr Ahern will be the sixth Irish leader to address a joint session of Congress and only the fifth political leader ever to have addressed a joint sitting of both houses in Britain and the US.
Mr Ahern will be welcomed to Congress by Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who issued the invitation. He will deliver his address at 11am local time, which is 4pm in Ireland.
The speech, which will last between 35 and 40 minutes, will be carried live on RTÉ television. Mr Ahern is expected to thank US political leaders for their involvement in the Northern Ireland peace process over the past decade.
A large group of friends and supporters of Mr Ahern have travelled to Washington for the historic occasion.
Among those in Washington for the Taoiseach's address to Congress are Des Richardson, the former Fianna Fáil fundraiser who was a key figure in organising the "dig out" for Mr Ahern in the early 1990s.
Another participant in the "dig out", David McKenna, is also in the US capital for the event, as is Chris Wall, a long-time friend and supporter of Mr Ahern and a key member of his Drumcondra organisation.
The developer Seán Dunne and his wife Gayle Killilea are also in the group of supporters which has made the journey to hear the Taoiseach's address.
Mr Ahern is the first serving Fianna Fáil Taoiseach to have been asked to make an address to the Joint Houses although two Fianna Fáil presidents were similarly honoured.
The previous Irish leaders to address a joint meeting of Congress were John Bruton in 1996, Garret FitzGerald in 1984, Liam Cosgrave in 1976, Éamon de Valera in 1964 and Sean T Ó Ceallaigh in 1959. Three other political leaders addressed one chamber of Congress, John A Costello in 1956, WT Cosgrave in 1928 and Charles Stewart Parnell in 1880.
Mr Ahern and the official Government entourage arrived at Andrews Airforce Base last night. Earlier in Dublin, the Taoiseach attended his last Cabinet meeting. Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern accompanied the Taoiseach to Washington and during his stay he will meet senior figures in Congress to discuss the problems of undocumented Irish immigrants.
After the speech to Congress, Mr Ahern will travel the short distance to the White House for a meeting with President Bush.
He will also attend lunch hosted by representative Richie Neal, chairman of the Friends of Ireland group in Congress. At the event, the Taoiseach will present a sword of the Young Ireland leader, Thomas Francis Meagher, to the Friends of Ireland. Mr Ahern described the gift as "a symbol of the continuing friendship between the people of Ireland and the people of America".
The sword has been donated by the City of Waterford, Meagher's native place, and a delegation from the city is in Washington to attend events surrounding the Taoiseach's address.
After the 1848 rebellion in Ireland, Meagher was transported to Tasmania but later made his way to America. He fought with the famous Fighting 69th Regiment of the New York Militia and then formed the Irish Brigade and fought in many battles during the US Civil War, rising to the rank of brigadier-general.
The presentation is designed to reciprocate the presentation by President Kennedy of a flag of the Fighting 69th to the Irish people when he visited Ireland in 1963. That flag is displayed in a place of honour in Leinster House.
This evening the Taoiseach will be the guest of honour at a reception hosted by the Irish Ambassador, Michael Collins. He will travel on to Boston tomorrow to deliver a lecture on Ireland and Europe to the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.