Visit our special St. Patrick's Day section
Former President Clinton has said that what troubled him most about the economic crisis in Ireland was the surge in suicide, especially among “people in their prime working years, who feel some how their whole lives have been robbed from them by this.”
The 42nd President of the United States was speaking yesterday, at the Irish America Hall of Fame Induction ceremony in New York, where he was honored.
He revealed to the crowd at the Irish America magazine Hall of Fame event in New York yesterday that a close Irish friend of his had taken his own life, due to the recession.
“A good friend of mine was one of the young, phenomenally prosperous Irish men who took his life and it made me think about this all over again,” he said.
Adressing the crowd Clinton delivered an inspirational message in which he said Ireland will be great and prosperous and wonderful again, simply by recovering what it is at the core.
“The thing we loved about Ireland had almost nothing to do with whether it was financially successful or not,” Clinton said.
“We should remember that what we loved about Ireland was how green and beautiful it is and how beautiful the poetry and the prose are and how wonderful the music and the dance is,” he added.
Speaking about Ireland’s recovery he said that a great challenge lays ahead which should be embraced by all, as we look to the future.
“Too much of the growth was in housing and nothing goes on forever at that rate,” Clinton said. “But it is not the end of the world; it is the beginning of another chapter in Irish history.”
“The impacted sense of shame from this economic crisis and the paralysis of it has put our beloved homeland in another fix,” he said.
“We should never assume again that any given level of prosperity is permanent,” adding that no economic arrangement is ever unyielding.
He called on people to reflect on what they cherish about Ireland as a method of re-evaluating our identity as we move forward.
“I’m convinced if everyone of us had 30 lucid minutes right before we passed away we would spend almost none of it thinking about how cool it was when we got rich,” he said.
The former Democratic president called on all of those gathered to pull together and help Ireland through the recovery.
“So it is for us not only to give them good advice and investment and support but to scrape away the barnacles which have clouded the vision of the place we love,” Clinton said.
During his fifteen minute speech at the New York Yacht Club, Clinton spoke about his pride in the endurance of peace in Northern Ireland and his continued involvement with the Irish American community.
He said the current crisis “brings with it both the opportunity and a profound responsibility to help the Irish respond to this moment of economic calamity, social and psychological chaos.”
Former President Clinton was enlisted as an Irish America magazine Hall of Fame honoree alongside the doctor and humanitarian, Dr Kevin Cahill; bestselling author, Mary Higgins Clark; philanthropist Chuck Fenney; Wall St titan, Denis Kelleher; peacemaker, William J. Flynn; the Lord of the Dance, Michael Flatley; Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith; Nobel Scientist, Dr James Watson.
Dr John Lahey, the President of Quinnipiac University was named as the Irish American of the year.
21 Comments
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.peterbarrins | Sep 11, 2011, 11:28 AM EDT
People need to realise that they are of value because they were born and were given life. Unfortunately too many people measure their worth by reference to external measures whereas self worth comes from within. Recently I heard Oprah Winfrey comment that one constant she has encountered through the years is that people, of all classes and backgrounds, do not feel worthy to live the life they have been given. In Ireland the number of suicides is significant and certain age categories feature strongly. I do not think clinical depression is the root cause in most of these cases but a lack of hope. The message that each person is valued is not being transmitted strongly enough. In fact, in the case of young men, there is often a message to the contrary.
Snowdrop | Mar 22, 2011, 03:09 AM EDT
Love Clinton, in spite of his human frailties. C'mon Bill, use your contacts to put American bucks, businesses, & ethical banking into the Emerald Isle where we speak the same language and are respected, before it becomes a third world nation.
sirpeter | Mar 21, 2011, 03:17 PM EDT
jfoynyc..I didn't say anything against Bill. I just stated an opinion to why they are depressed. I agree with breffnyblue.People need spirituality to fall back on, when the church and the government have made a mess of things.
Sheilah | Mar 21, 2011, 02:02 PM EDT
Pres Clinton is a caring man, concerned about his feloow human beings. He could live a relaxed, cozy life style somewhere yet he still alert on the issues , sincerely interested in Ireland and its people. Of course, he does get large sums for speaking fees, but he could choose to just talk about his book and administration or such. Instead, he relates to a very current and sad side effect to the end of the Celtic tiger economy. He speaks from the heart.
th..whydoesitha | Mar 19, 2011, 07:02 PM EDT
Bill will always be a legend, and he is special to the Irish people. He is obviously sincere in what he says and everything he says resonates with us. We will always love him.
Collette2 | Mar 19, 2011, 06:53 PM EDT
The failure of subsequent governments, the economic fallout and the explosive consequences of sex-abuse by the church of their father's would be the main contrubution to suicide. We all know the resilience of the Irish but they have received a full share of the iniquities of others. God knows they will recover and come back fighting never to be treated as they have been ever again. All power to them.
dgomalley74 | Mar 19, 2011, 06:24 PM EDT
Suicide or any manifestation of mental illness in Ireland has long been frowned upon and indeed swept under the rug. For Bill Clinton to address it in such a public forum can only shed light on this tragic ending to so many lives in Ireland. I personally don't care how much he made or makes for a speech, it has nothing to do with the message he is trying to get across to the audience. Mr. Clinton is of course correct in stating Ireland will recover by returing to what is at the core of the hearts of Irish people in the US and all over the world. We will recover, in this country and in Ireland because thats what we do. God bless Ireland and the United States of America.
BishopSean | Mar 19, 2011, 08:16 AM EDT
@breffnyblue is seeing the big picture. Generations of Irish "hung tough" through greater obstacles because they had a reason why. Ireland belatedly came into modernism and postmodernism and bought into secular humanism with its bankrupt philosophy--and now has one of the highest suicide rates for young males. We should value the real treasures in our Irish heritage while correcting all that urgently needs correcting.
maloney | Mar 18, 2011, 11:08 PM EDT
Slick willie is still conning the masses and the easily fooled Irish. Have cigar will travel.
TonyOhio | Mar 16, 2011, 10:43 PM EDT
What do you mean "tricked into buying a house" sirpeter? Come on, one minute we are bright and the next we don't know what we are doing when buying a house.... Don't kid yourself..only fools buy what they can't afford......
jacersagain | Mar 16, 2011, 07:37 PM EDT
BTW - In Ireland, suicides sometimes throw up banshees. America’s NBC station, as part of their “Destination Truth” series, will broadcast live on St. Patk's Day from Duckett’s Grove Castle in Co. Carlow, Ireland as they film the night-time goings-on there, hoping the Castle’s banshee makes an appearance. You can watch it live on the internet at (wx3)syfy(dot)com/destinationtruth from 6pmEST.
jacersagain | Mar 16, 2011, 07:36 PM EDT
Yes, I agree w/McNamara - breffnyblue's post is well written and notably true.
McNamara31 | Mar 16, 2011, 07:09 PM EDT
@breffnyblue.. Beautifully said, tragic and true.
Searlit | Mar 16, 2011, 06:47 PM EDT
I never liked the Nafta agreement or the Gatt treaty. Ex-President Clinton said, if it didn't work for us, in six months we could get out of it. Then of course, he was out of office, shortly after. Other than that I thought he was a good President. I sometimes wonder though, when he said " I feel your pain" was he really talking to the multi-national corporations?
feeneycj | Mar 16, 2011, 05:07 PM EDT
Taking too many risks was bad for everyone. Best to save ahead. Don't buy the most expensive house just because some loan agent says you can.
karengirl34 | Mar 16, 2011, 01:26 PM EDT
I blame George W. Bush and Clinton!!! Clinton signed the free trade agreement which toppled the American economy and then you had George W. Bush come alone and support big corporations and bailouts for all these huge corporations that had cheated so many little plp but was considered "to big to fail"!!(oh and let's not forget the oil company's)! I just lost my house to foreclosure and no one stepped up to bail me out and I have worked hard all of my life starting at 14 years old! I can say it has effected other economies around the world...everyone that is except China! The same country that poisoned their own babies with tainted milk!! So do I want to hear a speech that Clinton gives? NO!! I want him to apologize for signing the free trade agreement!!
breffnyblue | Mar 16, 2011, 12:54 PM EDT
I don't remember many suicides when I was growing up in Ireland in the 40's and 50's. Times were tough then too but people had something to fall back on--a Legacy of Hope from two great men; one, a wise Carpenter, and the other, an ex slave immigrant Preacher. It was nurtured at great sacrifice down through the generations and drawn on in times of despair. It started a steep decline as the era of 'enlightenment' took hold in last half of the past century and was finished off entirely by the Celtic Tiger boom. Now that his passing has left a trail of despair,I hope the young generations will realize the value of'old time religion' or find something else to fall back on.! The real victims of suicide are the loved who have to live on.
jfoynyc | Mar 16, 2011, 11:13 AM EDT
Did the trickster go to a better college than the debtor? Sirpeter, think first, write later. DLW, Pres. Clinton has and is a good friend of Ireland. Why begrudge him income less than some athlete's? His combination of intelligence, knowledge, communication skills make him unique in today's political forum - worldwide! Some of our Presidents get overpaid, some underpaid. Many in Congress should not be paid atall.
LoyalCitizen | Mar 16, 2011, 11:03 AM EDT
What Bill Clinton will not admit to is that financing pretentious / to big to fail American Corporations by stealing from Social Welfare Recipients asset stripped Ireland. Its Ok to get Irish Politicians to commit crimes against the Irish People. Its Ok if people are left to starve just finance these corporations, just don't blame Americans.
DLW12183 | Mar 16, 2011, 10:29 AM EDT
Clinton has to say something to keep getting the speaking fees. I saw the other day that he has received 60 million in speaking fees over the last 8 years. Who says our President's are underpaid?
sirpeter | Mar 16, 2011, 08:04 AM EDT
Thank's Bill..But what do you expect when a young guy breaks his ass for years in collage,tricked into buying a house for 600,000,loses his job and forced to hand back the keys to the bank,only to find he is 300,000 in debt and nothing to show for it.