Billybunion

When President Clinton last came here the Rainbow was in power, so John Bruton, Dick Spring and Proinsias De Rossa played host…

When President Clinton last came here the Rainbow was in power, so John Bruton, Dick Spring and Proinsias De Rossa played host. This time Bertie Ahern and Mary Harney are in the driving seat, and there is disappointment that, no doubt due to personal problems back home, Bill won't accept the hospitality the Government feels he deserves.

He wants to avoid the press, so no Q and A sessions were on the agenda, but he has also turned down a State dinner and many of the current administration's friends who had hoped to meet him were disappointed. The function at the College of Surgeons was for the social partners and David Andrews's reception at Iveagh House last night was for US delegation members. al Martin, to Galway to open a centre for human rights at UCG. Yesterday, (fri) they opened a centre for American Studies at UCD. The departing US ambassador, Jean Kennedy Smith, made her farewells in July, and nothing official is planned before her departure in a couple of weeks, which was delayed by Clinton's visit. The ambassador designate, Michael J. Sullivan, has yet to face the Senate hearings on his appointment and, having just had by-pass surgery, is not expected here for some months. In the interim the embassy will be run by the charge d'affaires, Earle St Aubin Scarlett.

Meanwhile, Ballybunion has been on tenterhooks. First, there was the Government's lacklustre enthusiasm for the golf, as it had originated as Dick Spring's gig, and in his constituency. Then there were worries that a crisis would again shorten Bill's visit. But the town is en fete anyway, the Government's nominee to counter Dick in the fourball, Charlie McCreevy, unveils a specially commissioned statue of the US president this morning, and the band of the Southern Command is on hand, as is the war pipes champion.

But will Bill or won't Bill visit the town itself? US officials say he will go straight to and from the links. In Ballybunion, they argue that he will pass through several Kerry towns, so why not where there's an Arkansas flag flying in the main street? Spirits were raised on Wednesday when security teams welded down the manholes.