THE RARE honour of the Freedom of Longford Town was bestowed last night on one of its greatest champions, former taoiseach Albert Reynolds. The ceremony, in honour of “his outstanding contribution to peace in Ireland” was attended by his wife Kathleen, a number of his children and grandchildren, and a host of supporters and friends.
Described as “a stalwart of the political system”, Albert Reynolds said there was “nothing inevitable about peace” when he was elected taoiseach. 1993, the year of the Downing Street Declaration which he oversaw, began as “a devastating year when there seemed little hope of a resolution to over 20 years of carnage.” He spoke of how he took to heart the words of Seán Lemass, who said “A defeatist attitude now would surely lead to defeat . . . We can’t opt out of the future.”
He refused to accept “offers that were only short-sighted and were simple token gestures of only three- and six-month cessations of violence”. In relaxed mood, he told a story of how, when he became taoiseach, he rang the Rev Ian Paisley’s best friend – also a dancehall owner – and asked to arrange a meeting.
After four days, he got a response from Dr Paisley’s “closest man”, who said “I will tell you in two halves. One is ‘now don’t waste your time.’ The other, ‘only when he’s number one.’”
Speaking of the declaration which later followed, Mr Reynolds said its greatest achievement was its language, which was “free from the constraints of years of ideology and allowed all groups in the process to move forward with a common goal inside a shared framework”. Mr Reynolds said the acknowledgment was as much a tribute to his wife as himself, as she supported him as he pursued his peace priority.
“Very few believed it was possible at the time. They thought I was mad in the head. Nobody gave me a chance of doing it except my wife.” He also paid tribute to Bill Clinton, George Mitchell, John Major, Senator Ted Kennedy and his sister, Jean Kennedy Smith, for their support.
Now entitled to graze his sheep on The Mall, the 76-year-old said the night gave him “great views of where I started from and where I finished up.”
The ceremony was followed by a presentation to the Town Council by members of the Longford Association of New York of a cross made from steel salvaged from the scene of the 9/11 tragedy in which Longford man Michael Armstrong lost his life.