America and Europe - A relationship that’s worth rebuilding

WHEN US President George W Bush visited Ireland for the first time — four years ago this month — it was a significant event and was marked accordingly.

President Bush was here to attend an EU-US summit. Old friends, meeting in a beautiful place, to discuss common interests. The placards were out and the gardaí, as ever, manned the cordons. Water canons were on hand though they were not needed.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern raised suspicions that US flights using Shannon facilitated the torture of prisoners. He, and President McAleese, raised concerns about the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay.