There is an absence of joy so far this St. Patrick’s Day season but not of hope. The end of the IRA cease-fire on February 9 and the subsequent bombings in London have cast a shadow over the celebrations of our Irish heritage, but all is not lost.
Moves afoot as we went to press could certainly help change this gloomy scenario. By all accounts President Clinton is playing a stellar role once again as the British and Irish governments seek to come up with a compromise formula which would allow a resumption of the cease-fire and the beginning of negotiations. A summit, followed by a clear path to elections and all-party talks, will surely alter the landscape.
Our dream that “The Man from Hope,” our Irish American of the Year, President Bill Clinton, will help restore the peace so that we can celebrate our Irish heritage with lighter hearts now seems closer.
And what better way of inspiring hope than by honoring those individuals in our Top 100, the President included, who have made a difference? By doing so, and by focusing on our achievements, we know that we as a people have the dignity to struggle on to find a way to resolve our problems in a manner which befits our people.
When we look into the eyes of the woman on our March/April cover holding up the dove of peace we see the despair this return to violence brings. She is a symbol of Ireland – Cathleen ni Houlihan – tragic mother Ireland who throughout her long history has lost so many sons. Look into her eyes and know that too many people have died including her only son and her husband, and know that she says she holds no bitterness in her heart. She only wants peace.
We cannot waste time on bitterness, hate and revenge, and pointing the finger of blame. We must ask the men and women (many of whom are honored members of our Top 100) and all who put themselves on the line for peace to find the courage to go on, the courage to pick up the pieces and start over.
We know that President Clinton and his administration did not turn their backs or wash their hands of the Irish problem in the wake of the resumption of violence, and that the President has continuously helped refocus us on the message of those brief glorious days when he united people from both traditions on his trip to Ireland and gave us a glimpse of the possible. “The People want peace, and the people will have peace,” he stated. We must never forget those words.
We must look at the men and women in our Top 100 and believe in ourselves again, in our courage, patience, tenacity, and our brainpower to lead us towards a peaceful solution. Irish America has already played a leading role in this peace process. We must now redouble our efforts.
We must also look at the diversity of this group, drawn from all walks of life and political and religious persuasions. We honor those such as Seamus Heaney, our beloved poet from Northern Ireland who won the Nobel Prize for literature last year, and Thomas Cahill, whose book, How the Irish Saved Civilization, let the world know that Ireland was a beacon of light and learning in the Europe of the Dark Ages. We take special pride in our artists, who through theater, film and other media make our Irish culture accessible to a wider audience. We honor politicians, sports people, and community workers, those who by being the very best in their field reflect a light on all our people.
We must disperse the shadow that has been thrown over the celebration of our heritage. As President Clinton requested of us when he inaugurated the chair in peace studies at the University of Ulster last December, we will set an example to the rest of the world in conflict resolution.
One day the people on the island of Ireland will know how to live with their deepest differences, and not die because of them. We must believe that.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the March/April 1996 issue of Irish America. ⬥
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