Republican News · Thursday 14 March 2002

Sinn Féin leaders in US for St Patrick's Day

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams is heading a Sinn Féin delegation to the US for St.Patrick's Day. He arrived in the US on Saturday 9 March and has already visited Scranton, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Kentucky, Baltimore on speaking engagements and to meet with grassroots Irish-American opinion.

Adams met with President Bush at the St Patrick's day reception in the White House on Wednesday, 13 March. He was accompanied by party vice president Pat Doherty. While in Washington, Adams als met with a number of significant US and Irish-American politicians who have contributed greatly to the irish Peace Process, including, Senators Edward Kennedy and Chris Dodd, Senator Hillary Clinton, Congressional Representatives Ritchie Neal and Peter King and with special envoy Richard Haass. Adams described the experience to date as hugely successful and very encouraging.

The Sinn Féin President will travel on to Seattle and San Francisco for a series of events before returning home.

Sinn Féin Vice President Pat Doherty will also be visiting Syracuse, Detroit, New York (for the annual St Patrick's Day Parade), Connecticut and Pearl River. Other Sinn Féin representatives in the US are Martin McGuinness, Bairbre de Brún and Gerry Kelly. Martin McGuinness, will be in Cleveland, and Chicago, from March 14 to 17.

Gerry Kelly will be in Boston and Bairbre de Brún will be in New York on Thursday, 14 March before travelling to Canada for a series of meetings.