Pelosi Remarks at Ireland Funds’ 28th Annual National Gala
Contact: Speaker's Press Office,
202-226-7616
Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of Ireland at the Ireland Funds' 28th annual National Gala in Washington D.C. and delivered remarks upon receiving The Ireland Funds Distinguished Leadership Award. Below are the Speaker's remarks:
Speaker Pelosi. Thank you, Maggie. Thank you, all. Thank you very much, Chairman Shaun Kelly and CEO David Cronin for this wonderful award, for bringing us together this evening, so we can all, together, welcome Taoiseach once again to Washington, D.C.
[Applause]
It's wonderful to see you again and to be able to welcome you and to hear your beautiful, inspiring remarks that are consistent with the commitment to peace and reconciliation that is the theme of the Irish in America. Thank you, Taoiseach, for those kind words and for your words in recognition of what I said or did and have said about the Good Friday Accords, but I accept that compliment on behalf of all of my colleagues. And I think I could say on both sides of the aisle, on both sides of the Capitol, who share that view, and it is with that strength and authority that I made those statements.
[Applause]
Many of my colleagues are here tonight. Why don't you stand up so we can applaud you all — there are so many of them.
[Applause]
I saw Joe Courtney and Brian Higgins and so many others who are here – Debbie Dingell. So many of our colleagues are here, and as you can see by their presence here tonight and the work that they are doing that we are all committed to a strong relationship between the United States and Ireland and a strong commitment to the Good Friday Accords.
I want to say how honored I am to receive this award and especially in the company of Matt Shay, the President and CEO of the National Retail Association, who's here with his family, with his mom and dad, his uncle Joe, his children. Congratulations to you on this award that you're receiving later tonight.
[Applause]
I'm happy to be in your company in that regard. And the special award to Peter King, who's here with Rosemary, his wife. Where are you Peter?
[Applause]
Peter King – let me just say this to you. A number of years ago, we were all at Stormont Castle. It was a bipartisan delegation – now this was before the Good Friday Accords. Peter King's, shall we say, exuberance was vocal. It was powerful. You could almost say it was physical.
[Laughter]
Wouldn't you say, Peter? It almost came to that, and he became a hero to all of us for how forceful he was as a fighter for peace – a fighter for peace.
[Applause]
My daughter Christine was traveling with us at that time because we were in Ireland for the christening of one of my grandsons and the – in that case we were just cheering him on. We were in awe of him. So she came home and told the story over and over. So he became sort of a hero in my family.
And, then, my daughter Alexandra and her children have visited Peter and Rosemary in their home. And so, we feel very close to them. Not necessarily politically, but personally.
[Laughter]
– but personally, and, again, in harmony when it comes to Ireland.
It is a joy to be here at this celebration with my colleague, Richie Neal. What a hero he is.
[Applause]
Richie Neal and Peter King are Co-Chairs of the Friends of Ireland [Caucus]. And both – Richie is a true son of Ireland. As recognized, he is being inducted – I think it is tomorrow – at the Irish American Hall of Fame. Congratulations, Richie Neal.
[Applause]
Last year, Richie organized our delegation visit to Ireland and to Northern Ireland. And, we actually went to the U.K. on our way there. And in Northern Ireland, Richie received an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Laws, at the University of Ulster. This was quite a remarkable occasion. I wish you could have all been there to hear Richie tell his story and what that honor meant to him.
It was an honor – he delivered the lecture named John Hume-Tip O'Neill. Pat Hume – Patricia Hume, John's wife, was there. It was an historic occasion. And Richie talked about so many things about the importance of our relationship of our two countries and the relationship of Northern – shall we say opportunities that could present themselves on Ireland and Northern Ireland.
And he talked about his grandmother. He referenced that earlier. His grandmother, Mary Ward. He talked about her leaving Ireland – the courage of it all, to leave Ireland, perhaps never to return. To never see family members and friends again. To never be there for a wedding, a funeral, a communion, whatever. The courage of it all.
And her story is the story of so many newcomers to America, certainly Irish Americans. And that determination, that hope, that courage, that optimism that Richie's grandmother had coming to the United States. Those attributes that she and so many others from Ireland have, are American traits and all of those newcomers make America more American.
[Applause]
As they still do, coming from other countries today. So, it's just a remarkable thing about America: the constant reinvigoration of our country, of newcomers to our country. And when you think of the Irish American contribution to America – when you think of so many things – I also want you to think about the contribution of the labor movement of Irish Americans. Any labor guys in the audience tonight or women?
[Applause]
Oh, there you are. We always say that the middle class in America is the backbone of our democracy, and that middle class has a union label on it. So thank you, thank you, thank you for that.
And so, in honor of his grandmother and so many others who desire to and have that optimism and hope to come to America, on Monday, Richie Neal was on the Floor of the House to pass legislation adding Ireland to the E3 Visa Initiative.
[Applause]
Thank you. Richard Neal.
So, this is such an official honor and then to be part of making a difference with it under the leadership of our colleagues.
Personally, I've had the joy of visiting Ireland many times, as the Taoiseach so graciously mentioned and others. Liam, Sean and Ryan are my grandchildren and their grandfather lived in County Wicklow in the town of Kilquade, and their baptisms took place in the church of Kilquade there. And so it was following one of these christenings, that I took a train to Northern Ireland to join up with a Congressional Delegation there. At the border, and approaching the border – if you haven't taken the train, or driven from Dublin to Northern Ireland – in those days it was something quite remarkable, because it's along the coast which is so beautiful.
And then, as you get toward Cork, Northern Ireland, you start seeing Union Jacks and you start seeing barbed wire, and then you start seeing more and more, and tanks and guns and soldiers as you're at the border. It's a scary – it was scary, terrible.
Last year, we returned to Northern Ireland. We didn't see any of those things. I learned it was transformed by the Good Friday Accords, a militarized border had been, just, replaced. The only difference between one country and another was the color of the line on the ground: yellow, white. No tanks, no guns, no barbed wire, none of that.
During the delegation visit, we visited the historic parliament, Stormont Parliament buildings and, on the grounds saw the beautiful "Reconciliation" sculpture, which depicts an embrace of peace. The Speaker of the – well, they weren't really in session, it was indicated, but the Speaker extended hospitality to us in the most beautiful way.
He had children, children, be the crowd that welcomed us and presented the program. A catholic high school student and a protestant high school student. And they, both – and they said they were not only catholic, a new generation of peace. And they said, ‘We will do everything possible to support peace and we are letting our parents and others know that.' And so, they gave us hope, the young people there, the children.
When I was in Dublin, I had the honor to address the Dáil – how about that? On the 100th anniversary of Ireland's parliament, 100th anniversary.
[Applause]
And as Speaker of the House, on behalf of the Congress of the United States, I was invited to speak. It was such an exciting occasion for all of us and for our delegation. Only, I think three Americans, Presidents – well, President Kennedy, President Reagan, President Clinton, but not a speaker. So, I was the first to do that. What an honor that was.
[Applause]
And besides that, Bono was there, so that made it fun for all of us.
[Laughter]
And so was the Taoiseach, of course.
And I said there, ‘One of the greatest achievements of Ireland's spirit of hope and of the faith that a better future is possible was the signing of the Good Friday Accords in 1998, ending centuries of conflict. On that holy day, the world saw the dawn of a peace in Northern Ireland of which few had dared to dream."
Thank you, Senator Mitchell, wherever you are.
[Applause]
And on our CODEL –
Oh, is that for Senator Mitchell? That's an applause line? Okay.
[Applause]
And President Clinton, and others.
And as the Taoiseach graciously mentioned and Richie said, on a CODEL, on behalf of the Congress, House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans but again, a large delegation. I saw two here, three, Richie, Joe Courtney, Brendan Boyle, Brian Higgins, some others who were on that trip, we all made it clear to our dear, good friends in the U.K., in friendship, this is a valuable friendship to us, we made it clear that any Brexit deal, and in any Brexit deal, the Good Friday accords must be honored or there could not be a U.S.-U.K. trade agreement.
[Applause]
I could say that with the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Richie Neal, standing right there, the committee of jurisdiction.
But as my speech at the Dáil I said, ‘We treasure the Good Friday Accord – not only because of what it means for Northern Ireland and for Ireland. We treasure the Good Friday Accord because it is not just a treaty. It is an ethic; it is a value; it is an article of faith for us; it is a beacon to the world. A beacon of reconciliation and peace. We treasure the Good Friday Accord because of what it says is possible for the entire world – a reason to hope in every place that dreams, that reconciliation continues to be possible for them too.'
Together, let us work to make continued peace and reconciliation the reality.
Tomorrow, all of us in Congress will look forward to welcoming the Taoiseach to the U.S. Capitol, in a very bipartisan way, Taoiseach, to celebrate the bipartisan support for the bonds between American and Ireland. And to continue our work to support the peace.
Thank you for your leadership. Thank you all for this honor, I will display it with great pride in the Speaker's Office of the Capitol for all to see, and I thank you for the honor of this award.
God Bless you all. God Bless Ireland. God Bless America.
Thank you all.
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