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How Irish Voice got it right on Hillary Clinton

Why Irish Times and Irish Echo got the story wrong

By
The Intelligencer,
Irish Voice

Published Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 11:36 AM
Updated Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 11:45 AM

 

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U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is greeted by Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and First Minister Peter Robinson
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is greeted by Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and First Minister Peter Robinson

NOW that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Irish visit is over, and she most definitely acted as negotiator and envoy herself in Northern Ireland, as well as appointing economic envoy Declan Kelly, it is interesting to note who got this story right and who got it wrong in the preceding few months.

It was the most important story of the year for Irish America, the first ever dedicated visit to Ireland north and south by a sitting secretary of state, and it is extraordinary when you see how far off the mark many of the reports were -- except several reports in this newspaper.

Clinton spent hours negotiating with the Northern Ireland leaders, as did her economic envoy Kelly – incidentally, the only such envoy appointed to any country by this administration.

It is clear that she is taking the Irish issue very seriously, and that as long as she is secretary of state that it will be a high priority. The good work of Irish American leaders for decades with the Clintons is being rewarded.

So yes, we are taking a moment of self-congratulation here. Others got the story wrong about Clinton’s continued involvement in Ireland, perhaps because they really don't know Irish America and the influence it can still carry.

From the Irish Voice, July 22: “Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to personally handle the role of peace envoy to Ireland, the Irish Voice has learned.

“Clinton is expected to visit Northern Ireland as secretary of state in early September, according to sources. She will be accompanied by the economic envoy who is expected to be named shortly.

“The decision is a major boost for Northern Ireland both in terms of visibility and personal involvement from the secretary of state.” (September, of course, turned out to be October for the official visit.)

From the Irish Echo’s Susan Geraghty, July 29: “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is not going to be the special envoy to Northern Ireland. "She is the secretary of state, not a special envoy," State Department spokesman PJ Crowley told the Echo.

“And Secretary Clinton does not have any plans to visit Ireland in the immediate future, though she did say during the recent swearing in of U.S. ambassador Ireland, Dan Rooney, that she looked forward to going there eventually.”

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