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Updated 2.25pm
With reporting from Christina Finn in New York City
FORMER LEADER OF Sinn Féin Gerry Adams was honoured today at a St Patrick’s Day breakfast event hosted by the mayor of New York.
Mayor Bill De Blasio commended him for his work towards peace and named today, 17 March 2018, as Gerry Adams Day.
Paying tribute to Adams’ contribution towards the peace process in Northern Ireland, he said he recognised the “power of peace”.
“He did not accept injustice, and he fought against it,” said the mayor, who also spoke about achieving a united Ireland one day.
“He understood there was no place in this world anymore for colonialism and he fought against it… great ideas never die.
“I want to honour him for pursuit of a goal that makes so much sense – a goal for a United Ireland.”
De Blasio gifted a proclamation, stating that as mayor, he was declaring today, 17 March 2018, Gerry Adams Day.
Can Gerry Adams expect such an honour to be bestowed on him back home?
It doesn’t look like it. Speaking to TheJournal.ie before marching in the parade Varadkar said it is not an Irish tradition to name days after particular individuals like it is in the US.
However, he said he was happy to offer his congratulations to Adams.
The New York mayor also paid tribute to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who was also present at this morning’s event.
He commended the people of Ireland for voting for marriage equality and for electing Vardkar as Taoiseach.
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