Bill Clinton: A 'miracle' the Good Friday Agreement survived Brexit

The original 54-page Good Friday Agreement document has been returned to Northern Ireland

Former US President Bill Clinton: “We all knew we were coming to the eleventh hour."

Former US President Bill Clinton has said it was a “miracle” that the Good Friday Agreement survived Brexit.

Mr Clinton said Brexit was aimed at the heart of the historic agreement signed 25 years ago in which he played a key role. The document ended 30 years of violence in the North, which had claimed the lives of 3,600 people and injured more than 47,000.

Mr Clinton told RTÉ Prime Time in an interview to be aired on Tuesday night: “The idea that it (the Good Friday Agreement) weathered Brexit is a miracle, because Brexit was aimed right at the heart of the Good Friday Agreement, even if not intentionally…but it happened…so that’s the way it was."

He added: “But the peace held, the Irish peace held”.

His interview comes as the original 54-page Good Friday Agreement document has returned to Northern Ireland. It is being displayed at the Public Record Office in Belfast until April 13.

The agreement also contains the signatures of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair as well as the late Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Mo Mowlam and the former Minister for Foreign Affairs David Andrews.

Former US President Clinton and his wife Hilary told RTÉ the fundamentals of the Good Friday Agreement will help the parties to find a way forward in the current deadlock.

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Mr Clinton said: “I think we should say, look there’s something to work with here. The party that’s getting the most votes now (Sinn Féin) doesn’t want to jam you, they want to work with you to resolve these things. How can we live together? How can we work together? How can we all put our heads on the pillow at night and feel at peace about what our children are going to face."

Mr Clinton also recalled the details of the finalisation of the agreement saying: “We all knew we were coming to the eleventh hour. I talked to George (Mitchell) and Tony (Blair) and Bertie (Ahern) late in the evening – I said this is your peace, you have to make it work, but if you think I can help, then call me anytime of the day or night.

“They called me again and I was on the phone until about 2.30am, walking through all the details with everyone, especially Gerry Adams. So, I get off the phone and I went to bed again, and I slept, maybe for about two hours. And at five in the morning, George (Mitchell) called me again. And he said I just need you to take a couple of more calls."

The full interview with President Bill Clinton and former US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton will be broadcast tonight, on Prime Time on RTÉ One at 9.35pm.