Newly declassified documents have revealed that White House officials actively hoped to prevent a public handshake between US President Bill Clinton and Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams during a historic 1995 visit to Northern Ireland.
The Historic Visit and the Controversial Greeting
In November 1995, Bill Clinton made a groundbreaking trip, becoming the first serving US president to visit Northern Ireland. The journey was a significant moment in the peace process. On the morning of 30 November 1995, a defining image was captured: President Clinton shaking hands with Gerry Adams on Belfast's Falls Road.
However, records recently released by the National Archives of Ireland show this public display was not the preferred outcome for American diplomats. A letter from Irish government official David Donoghue, written ahead of the visit, explicitly noted that "the Americans would prefer to avoid a handshake photograph between the president and Adams."
This caution stemmed from Mr Adams's role as president of Sinn Féin, widely regarded at the time as the political wing of the IRA paramilitary group. Adams, who led Sinn Féin from 1983 to 2018, has always denied being a member of the IRA.
Diplomatic Pressure and Ancestral Myths
The documents confirm earlier reports that then-British Prime Minister John Major pressured President Clinton not to give Mr Adams a warm reception. This mirrored advice from former US Attorney General Janet Reno, who in 1995 strongly advised against granting Adams a temporary visa for US fundraising, citing no evidence of IRA disarmament.
Interestingly, the pair had met privately earlier that year at the White House, but only exchanged handshakes after photographers had left the room. Clinton later described the public handshake in Belfast as a "big deal" and recalled feeling as though "the pavement was about to crack open."
The released files also contained a genealogist's report debunking long-held claims about President Clinton's Irish ancestry. Genealogist Sean Murphy was commissioned to trace the president's roots after baseless media claims about Fermanagh ancestry persisted.
Murphy informed the Taoiseach's office that links to County Fermanagh were "based largely on fantasy." He traced the earliest maternal ancestor to Zachariah Cassidy, born around 1750-60 in South Carolina, not Ireland. While he speculated the family may have originally emigrated from Ulster, the specific Roslea claim was dismissed.
Legacy of the Archives and Lasting Impact
The National Archives of Ireland follows a standard 30-year rule, releasing batches of declassified government files annually. These latest disclosures provide a clearer, behind-the-scenes view of the intense diplomatic balancing act surrounding the Northern Ireland peace process.
The 1995 handshake, despite official hesitancy, became an iconic symbol of American engagement. It paved the way for the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. The relationship between Clinton and Adams continued, evidenced by their meeting at Queen's University Belfast as recently as 2023.
These records ultimately highlight the contrast between cautious diplomatic planning and the powerful, unpredictable moments that can define history.
