Agents sweep in ahead of Clinton visit
Mr Clinton will be a guest of JP McManus at a 32-county scholarship bursary presentation.
Up to 600 people have been invited to the awards ceremony at the University of Limerick.
The bursaries will be presented to 125 students to fund their undergraduate studies at third-
level colleges north and south of the border.
The event has caused a headache for Mr McManus, the biggest national hunt racehorse owner in the country.
“He [Clinton] was given a few days that would work for us, so he picked Nov 17, which clashes with the Paddy Power meeting at Cheltenham,” said Mr McManus.
“I said to myself: ‘Why did I include that date?’ But to work for him, it had to be that [date]. He’s in Europe, flying around, and this is an extra pit stop.”
Mr McManus revealed that he had to call in the help of high-placed friends to get Mr Clinton to attend the ceremony, given he is one of the most sought-after speakers in the world.
“He had a lot to do with the peace process in Ireland. So I felt he was the ideal man to get,” Mr McManus told the Limerick Chronicle.
Mr McManus then had to rely on his network of contacts.
“I did it with the help of friends,” he said. “I got a friend of mine to make an inquiry. He was given a few days that would work for us and he picked Nov 17.”
It will be Mr Clinton’s second visit to Limerick. As 42nd president of the US, he addressed more than 40,000 in O’Connell St during his 1998 visit to this country.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny was guest of honour at last year’s scholarship presentation.
The scholarships were established in 2008, with Mr McManus contributing €32m.
Up to 1,300 students from the 32 counties will benefit.
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