Bertie delivers a sweet swansong worthy of its magnificent setting

THE Taoiseach was afforded a magnificent stage to wind up his political career with an address to a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday. He became only the 102nd foreigner to address the two houses together.

The first address was by the Marquis de Lafayette in 1824. He had played a major role in the American War of Independence and later returned home to take part in the French Revolution.

After Lafayette addressed the joint Houses of Congress, subsequent foreign leaders usually addressed either the House of