REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE ON RECEIVING THE DANIEL O’CONNELL AWARD
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE ON RECEIVING THE DANIEL O’CONNELL AWARD FROM THE IRISH-AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION
Is onóir faoi leith domhsa mar Uachtarán na hÉireann agus mar dhlíodóir an gradam seo a ghlacadh, gradam a dhéanann comóradh ar shár-dhlíodóir, an-daonlathaí agus árd-Éireannach: Dónal Ó Conaill.
It is a particular honour for me as President of Ireland, and as a lawyer, to receive this award commemorating a great lawyer, democrat and Irishman, Daniel O’Connell.
Nobody who has moved in the twin worlds of law and politics, I would argue, could deny that O’Connell was the greatest Irish politician who ever practised law - and the greatest Irish lawyer who ever practised politics. His personal success as a barrister, a trial lawyer, was immense. It was based on a formidable combination of learning, eloquence, grinding hard work, and an uncanny capacity to read, and to appeal to, juries and judges alike. He was a countryman who was equally at home in metropolitan salons, and he could strike a multitude of notes as the need arose.
As a politician, his greatest achievement was the extension of the vote to Catholics, which transformed Irish politics and was a significant step towards a more equal society. His campaign for the repeal of the Act of Union, though unsuccessful in its own time, made clear beyond doubt the shakiness of the foundations on which the Union was based, and its failure to win the emotional and moral support of most Irish people. But O’Connell’s vision extended well beyond his own shores: he promoted justice on the basis of principle, and was a powerful advocate of, for example, the end of the slave trade and civil rights for European Jews.
O’Connell’s methods too were exemplary. He was as outstanding a parliamentarian as he was an advocate, and played a dominant role in the House of Commons. For him the force of oratory and the precise detail of legislation could and should, together, compel change and underpin justice. He was the pioneer of large-scale democratic mobilisation, not just in Irish but in British politics, through mass political organisation and his so-called monster meetings.
Equally importantly, he was a fervent and life-long opponent of political violence and the use of force.His was a decisive influence in moulding the moderate, non-violent and democratic political tradition which has been, over time, both the dominant and the most valuable strand of our national public life.
The values he espoused, a vital and not inconsiderable part of the legacy he left us, have inspired and sustained the work of Irish political leaders down the generations. In their efforts, O’Connell would have seen the continuation of his own tireless work to bring justice to his people.
But he recognised that no injustice could ever justify another injustice. The domination of one class, creed or tradition by another was no part of his agenda.
In the foundations of the current Irish peace process, and of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, he would recognise many of the principles and objectives he held dear - an absolute commitment to resolving our differences through democratic and peaceful means; a dedication to the promotion of partnership and equality; a promise to vindicate and protect the human rights of all members of all communities on the island of Ireland.
Most of all, perhaps, he would profoundly appreciate the authority the Agreement carries through having received the overwhelming endorsement of the people of Ireland, North and South, voting together in that great act of democracy that was the twin referenda held on May 22 last year.
These are not easy times for the Good Friday Agreement. Mutual suspicion and distrust still impede the implementation of its core institutional aspects, though the putting in place of other elements, including in relation to human rights, is well advanced. But I am confident that, in the long run, we will succeed in realising the totality of its vision. There is no desire for a return to the terrible years of futile and bitter violence. The extent to which there has been major movement in the stances of the key players is masked, but
not negated, by the current difficulties. There is a broad recognition that compromise and accommodation are the only basis for a stable and prosperous future. There is an understanding that there is no coherent or credible alternative to the Agreement. There is, above all, the continuing force of its democratic mandate.
The continuing support and encouragement of the international community, and of Ireland’s many friends overseas, is of tremendous encouragement to us. Nowhere is this more true than in the United States. Successive Presidents, above all President Clinton, and leading figures from both parties in the Congress and at state level, have played a crucial role in developing and sustaining the peace process. The Irish-American community has displayed unfaltering passion and commitment. Even now, Senator George Mitchell, this Association's honouree last year, who so ably chaired the talks which led to the Good Friday Agreement, is again playing a crucial role in the current review of the implementation of the Agreement.
Of course, Senator Mitchell has himself been both a lawyer and a legislator - so the connection between the law and politics, on both sides of the Atlantic, remains as powerful as it was in O’Connell’s day.
As we stand on the eve of a new Millennium and reflect on the past, on the Ireland of O’Connell’s day, and on how he would view today’s Ireland, I sense that it would be with a deep sense of pride in her accomplishments as she strides confidently on the world stage. O’Connell would see a generation poised to spread prosperity and opportunity widely, a generation that finally witnessed the ending of emigration, a generation ready to construct a new, firm peace on the island of Ireland.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the Irish American Bar Association for your scholarship and summer placement programmes for Irish law students. There is a great tradition of Irish involvement in the law in the United States, a tradition which your Association celebrates. I thank you for the honour you have bestowed on me in presenting me with your Daniel O'Connell Award.
Mar fhocal scoir gabhaim mo bhuíochas le Cumann Dlí Éire-Meiriceá as na scoláireachtaí agus obair shamhraidh atá curtha ar fáil agaibh do mhic léinn dlí na hÉireann. Tá stair dhlí Mheiriceá breac le inchur mhuintir na hÉireann agus déanann an Cumann ‘s agaibhse an traidisiún seo a cheiliúradh agus a bhuanú. Mo mhíle buíochas libh as an ghradam seo i gcuimne ar Dhónal Ó Conaill a bhronnadh orm. Is mór an onóir dom é.
Thank you.