Bush visit – Summit ends in triumph for Ahern

President George W Bush left the Dromoland summit conscious of the serious concern the majority of Irish people harbour towards the war in Iraq and American treatment of prisoners there.

That concern was firmly conveyed to him by President Mary McAleese and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in the course of the EU-US summit, although he may also have been made aware of the depth of feeling throughout the country because his presence occasioned the biggest security operation ever mounted in the State.

Ultimately, the summit passed off without any major incident, belying the extraordinary measures taken in terms of garda and army personnel and military equipment put in place to defeat perceived threats from protesters.