Clinton plans first Cork visit to address fundraiser

Former US president Bill Clinton will visit Cork for the first time next month to make a keynote address at a conference for business leaders and philanthropists.

The visit, likely to take place on June 22, is being organised to coincide with the Worldwide Ireland Fund’s annual conference in Castlemartyr, where Mr Clinton will be keynote speaker.

The speech is the biggest annual event in the fund’s calendar. Its ‘Promising Ireland’ campaign, aimed at raising $100m (€80m) for projects in Ireland and abroad, is 19 months ahead of target and 20% ahead of its fundraising goal already.

This will be Mr Clinton’s third visit to Ireland in recent times. In addition to attending the Global Irish Economic Forum last year, he previously visited Derry and Dublin with friend and advisor Declan Kelly.

The trip has been facilitated by Mr Kelly, Tipperary-born CEO of Teneo Holdings, the New York-headquartered merchant bank and consulting company. Mr Kelly, a former Irish Examiner writer, previously served as the US government’s special envoy to the North for two years, working for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

It is believed that Taoiseach Enda Kenny and other members of the Government will attend.