Intelligencer

Back to the Future

It is back to the future at Tourism Ireland, with former North American Executive Vice President Joe Byrne coming back to the same position after a few years in Ireland.

Byrne will replace the current exec VP, Jim McGuigan, who will be returning to Ireland at the end of this month. McGuigan, an affable Monaghan man, was extremely popular during his term here. He played a major role in bedding down the new all-Ireland body Tourism Ireland, which came about after the Anglo Irish Agreement and arguably is one of its greatest achievements.

Byrne too has been a trailblazer in that regard, and the North American market has become a huge element of that outreach.

Given the recent announcement by Delta that the airline will be flying to Dublin and Shannon from New York it certainly seems an exciting time to be taking over.

Hillary’s Irish Fundraiser

A major fundraiser in the Irish community for Senator Hillary Clinton before year’s end seems on the cards as the New York senator gears up for her 2006 race against a Republican opponent, most likely Westchester District Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

Former President Bill Clinton is expected to headline the fundraiser which will take place in December if current plans are followed through. It must be remembered that the Irish held a massive fundraiser for Hillary just before her race six years ago at which over $150,000 was raised.

The New York Observer revealed this week that Clinton has $13 million on hand, slightly larger, to say the least, than Pirro, who has yet to break the million mark. This is before fundraising season even begins, so we can expect much more.

Clinton spent $20 million last time she ran, but she can easily surpass that fundraising total this time. Experts say she will likely spent about the same as last time and keep the extra $20 million or so for the early primaries in the 2008 presidential race.

Early money is an incredibly important aspect of Senate races these days. Senator Chuck Schumer showed the way when he raised almost $40 million before his race even begun and scared the bejaysus out of any major prospective Republican candidate in 2004. Little wonder he ran against an unknown and crushed him when he did face re-election.

It is obvious Clinton is doing the same, though she will have one eye on 2008 as she collects her tithes from the Democratic faithful over the next 12 months.

Irish at Clinton Conference

The list of Irish speakers at the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Conference, to be held on November 10, 11 and 12th at Hofstra has been announced. The Irish portion will be held on Thursday, November 10 between 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.

There will be several academic presentations. Paul Dixon, lecturer in politics at Kingston University in Northern Ireland, will speak on the “Clinton Presidency and the Northern Ireland Peace Process.”

John Dumbrell, professor of politics at the University of Leicester in the U.K., will speak on the theme of “President Clinton and Northern Ireland: Gulliver in Lilliput.” Also speaking on that topic is Timothy J. Lynch from the Institute for the Study of the Americas at the University of London who wrote an excellent book, Turf War, on the Clinton involvement in the peace process.

Catherine Shannon of Westfield State College will speak on “Bringing Hope to Northern Ireland’s Civil Society, 1992-2000.”

A panel discussion will also take place with Congressman Peter King, Maureen Murphy, professor of curriculum and teaching at Hofstra who is one of the best known Irish academics in America, and Niall O’Dowd, founder of the Irish Voice.

It is expected that Clinton himself may show up, as indeed may Gerry Adams who will be in New York during that period for two speaking engagements. For further information call 516 463-5669 or e-mail www.hofstra.edu/culture.

Irish Pols Here

Irish Foreign Minster Dermot Ahern will be back in the U.S. next week, as will Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, head of Ireland’s main opposition party.

Both men will attend the Cross Border Youth Orchestra concert at Carnegie Hall on November 1. Ahern, who is from the border county of Louth, has a daughter playing in the orchestra.

Kenny is a former minister of tourism who is well acquainted with the U.S. He is expected to go to Wall Street, meet community leaders and visit the immigration centres during his stay.

No doubt many Irish Americans will be sizing him up as he would become prime minister if Fianna Fail were to lose the next election.

Ahern Marshals The Troops

Speaking of that next Irish election, it is not expected until the earliest part of 2007 when the government has run its five-year course.

Fianna Fail are in trouble in the polls and Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern will no doubt see that putting off the election as long as possible is to his benefit. His party’s ard fheis (convention) in Killarney is a chance to marshal the troops and get them on message for the election, still a year and a half away.

No matter what the polls are saying now, however, they mean little. The Celtic Tiger looks like it will boom for the foreseeable future, giving Ahern the trump card in his pack.

Against that, though, sheer weariness with this government, entering the end of its second term, may cost them the election.