By Joan Bolger

NEW York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Congressman Joe Crowley of Queens, together with a broad coalition of the city’s Irish American leaders, have called for immediate steps to be taken towards ensuring peace in Northern Ireland.

In a letter sent to the British and Irish governments and to the leaders of the Northern Ireland parties, Quinn said, “The time for action is now. The time for peace is now,” and urged all leaders “to take any and all steps necessary towards securing a lasting peace and reestablishing the elected government of Northern Ireland.”

Present at a press conference at City Hall last Thursday was Irish Consul General Tim O’Connor, who welcomed the presence of Crowley, who he described as “a great friend of Ireland.”

O’Connor said that the Irish government “hugely appreciated the contribution and support of Irish America and the United States to the peace process and that support is now invaluable again as the Irish and British government sought to chart a way towards full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement with the Northern parties.”

He added that if agreement could be reached on the basis set out by the governments, there was a bright future available in economic terms in what he called a “golden triangle” between Ireland, north and south, and the U.S.

Crowley told reporters that although bigotry still existed in Northern Ireland, the latest disagreement in the all-party talks - referring to Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley’s insistence that Sinn Fein pledge support for the Northern Irish police force before electing first and deputy first ministers — was “just a bump on the road.”

Disagreements over the pledge led to the postponement of a meeting between Paisley and Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams last week.

When asked about whether the Ad Hoc Committee on Irish Affairs in Washington would be holding hearings on the Monaghan-Dublin bombings in 1974 about alleged collusion between the British security forces and Loyalist paramilitaries, Crowley conceded that they would, and that they would also be holding hearings on the Pat Finucane case. Finucane, a Belfast solicitor who represented Republican clients, was killed by Loyalists under circumstances yet to be fully clarified.

However, it was important “that there be no hierarchy of victims,” he warned. “If this process is to move forward, we must not concentrate on negative elements but on the positive developments in the North,” he said.

At Thursday’s press conference, Speaker Quinn released a letter that will be delivered to the British and Irish governments and leaders of the Northern Ireland parties, urging immediate action. Other elected officials including New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton signed the letter.

In their statements, both senators pledged their support. “So much has been accomplished in this process and I am hopeful that the remaining important steps are taken toward realizing lasting peace,” Clinton said.

Schumer added, “The time is now to make a bold new history for Northern Ireland — indeed for all of Ireland — based on equality, mutual respect and optimism.”