Press Release: Tip O'Neil Lecture 2007

By Melvin Flores and Chaminda WEERAWARDHANA

Left: Foreign Minister Dermot Ahren delivering the Tip O'Neil lecture at the Great Hall, Magee Campus, University of Ulster on April 4 2007.

Picture copyright The Global Village Newsline 2007 (Picture by Chaminda WEERAWARDHANA).

As Northern Ireland progresses towards a new phase in the peace process, Dermot Ahern, the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Republic of Ireland delivered a lecture on peace and reconciliation related issues at the University of Ulster. The lecture was attended by academics, policymakers and UU research students from across the globe. Quoting from renowned poet Seamus Heaney, a native of Derry, the minister highlighted the importance of keeping hope in a bright future, even when hopes are shattered.

The minister outlined the contribution made to the Northern Ireland Peace Process by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor John Hume, the current holder of the Tip O’Neil chair. He highlighted the importance of making Northern Ireland an increasingly inclusive society, with questions of identity and culture no longer identified with discord or division but seen as ‘a prism of tolerance, diversity and mutual respect’. A considerable portion of the lecture was devoted to addressing issues such as sectarianism, which need to be remedied through a long-term strategy.
He further noted that last month’s peace agreement between the DUP and Sinn Fein gave new hopes for the future of the region, stressing the need of enhancing peace and coexistence. He pondered on the partnership between the British and Irish governments in developing a devolution project in Northern Ireland
The minister also emphasized economic development packages proposed to Northern Ireland through North-South cooperation projects. All in all, the lecture emulated a deeply-felt desire to see a ‘new beginning’ for Northern Ireland marked by peace and political stability coupled with economic prosperity.

Tip O’Neil (1912-1994) was a well-known Irish American, who was Speaker of the US House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987. He stronly supported peace efforts in Northern Ireland. The Tip O’Neil lecture is funded by the ‘Ireland Funds’ and it is a major annual event organised by the University of Ulster. Past speakers include former president Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary Clinton and Irish President Mary McAleese.
Copyright The Global Village Newsline 2007