Ahern celebrates decade of leadership
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is tonight officially celebrating a decade at the helm of Fianna Fáil at a party dinner in West Dublin.
Mr Ahern, 53, succeeded Albert Reynolds as leader of Ireland’s largest party in November 1994 and has served the last seven years as leader of the Government.
The enigmatic Dubliner used tonight’s occasion to urge the parties involved in the Northern Ireland power-sharing talks not to walk away from negotiations.
He said: “I wish I could say this evening that agreement is assured. It is not. But I know that I have your support in urging everyone not to walk away from opening the door to full peace and comprehensive partnership in Northern Ireland.”
“After the exhaustive effort we have done our work, and decisions now need to be made by the parties involved. No deal is perfect but what is in prospect is truly historic.”
Mr Ahern also took the opportunity to congratulate Minister for Finance Brian Cowen on his first Budget this week.
He also welcomed former president Patrick Hillery and his wife Maeve to the party and paid tribute to their “unsurpassable standard of integrity and dignity in Irish public life“.
Concluding, Mr Ahern said the last 10 years had been “a great honour and an enormous personal challenge” to be leader of Fianna Fáil.
