President Bill Clinton secured his place in Irish history books and in Irish hearts with his hands-on, involved approach to the turbulent Irish peace process and his historic visit to Northern Ireland in December, 1995, the first such visit by a sitting U.S. president.

The story of how far away from traditional U.S. politics and policy making President Clinton actually strayed is only now beginning to unfold. Now in his second term, the President has committed his administration once again to lending itself to the cause of peace in Ireland and to embracing politicians from both the Catholic and Protestant traditions in the North in the hope of reaching a settlement.

The man from Hope, Arkansas, who said he always considered himself an Irish American, traces his Irish ancestry to Ballycassidy in County Fermanagh. He still hopes to make a trip to Ballybunion in County Kerry, to play a round of golf, something which had to be scrapped during his last visit. The President was named Irish American of the Year 1996 by Irish America magazine.