Equality agenda priority for Adams in US
By Ciara Collins
For the second time this year Gerry Adams, along with SF Director
of Publicity Rita O'Hare and Press Secretary Richard McAuley
traveled to the United States to carry the party's message to key
policy makers.
Kicking off the trip with a lecture at the American Irish
Historical Society Adams laid out the theme of his trip to a
capacity crowd at the Society's 5th Avenue headquarters in
Manhattan. The invitation to speak at the Society came from its
President, Dr Kevin Cahill who also hosted the event. In the
audience were such notables as Cyrus Vance, former US Secretary
of State, and former NY Governor Hugh Carey.
Following the Society lecture Adams addressed a crowd of more
than 300 Friends of Sinn Féin at the Plaza Hotel. The atmosphere
was one of comradeship encouraged by an address from Rita O'Hare
as well as Gerry Adams.
At each stop Adams was met by extensive groups of journalists all
looking for interviews and exclusives.
Thursday in New York began with editorial board meetings at Long
Island Newsday and the New York Times and included lunch with
editorial board members of Time magazine.
From there the Sinn Féin delegation made its way to Wall Street
for a tour of the New York Stock Exchange. Greeted at the
entrance by NYSE President William Johnston Adams headed to the
exchange floor where he met NY Governor Pataki's former Chief of
Staff Michael Finnegan and Al Smith III, grandson of Al Smith,
former NY Governor and the first Catholic to run for President.
After his tour Adams attended a fundraising event at Windows on
the World on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center.
In Washington Adams, McAuley and Mairead Keane went to the White
House for a meeting with National Security Advisor Sandy Berger
and other White House officials. During the hour and a half
meeting President Clinton dropped by and spent 30 minutes with
the Sinn Féin delegation.
President Clinton once again pledged the commitment of his
administration to a lasting peace settlement in Ireland.
On Saturday, Adams and McAuley flew from Washington to Hartford,
Connecticutt to address the Irish Northern Aid Annual General
Meeting.
They were greeted by Connecticutt Senator Chris Dodd, Irish
Northern Aid National Chair Paul Doris and local INA member Rich
Lawlor. During his address Adams paid tribute to Irish Northern
Aid, the long-standing US based supporters of the Irish
Republican movement.
Throughout the trip Adams received assurances from business
leaders that they would lend their support to the peace process
in the form of economic investment initiatives and from American
politicians that the US government would remain engaged and
supportive. It was a packed four days but ones in which great
amounts of money were raised for Sinn Fein's electoral
participation and new alliances were forged.
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