State Papers: White House did not want photo of Clinton shaking hands with Adams

Then Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams meeting former US president Bill Clinton, his wife Hillary Clinton with then taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the Guinness Storehouse. Picture: RollingNews.ie

The White House wanted to avoid a photo of Bill Clinton shaking Gerry Adams’ hand at a Belfast reception held as part of the US president’s historic visit in 1995.

The annual release of documents from the National Archives in Dublin shows the extensive engagements between Irish and US officials to co-ordinate the Clintons’ visit to the island of Ireland.