Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
26414037
label
Untied States - Ireland Alliance
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
26414037
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Untied States - Ireland Alliance
citationUrl
collections
Records of the First Lady's Office (Clinton Administration)
Bobbie Greene's Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
26414037
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
otherTitles
42-t-7763273-20120872S-014-019-2015
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
6d476242055977c1
ocrText
US-IRELAND ALLIANCE
June 25, 1998
Ms. Bobbie Green
Office of the First Lady
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
President
Trina Y. Vargo
Dear Bobbie:
Honorary Board
Just to let you know that I finally did it. I left Senator Kennedy's office
Prime Minister
Bertie Ahern, T.D
almost two months ago to begin work full time on the US-Ireland Alliance.
John Bruton, T.D.
Mary Harney, T.D.
I'm enclosing background on the organization for your files. If there is
John Hume, MEP, MP
anything I can do to help you on the First Lady's trip to Northern Ireland, just
Senator Edward M. Kennedy
let me know.
Senator Connie Mack
Senator George J. Mitchell
Ruairi Quinn, T.D.
Sincerely,
Advisory Board
Brian Barrington
Lim
Aidan Browne
Laurence Crowley
Trina Y. Vargo
Clarke Keough
Senator Maurice Manning
Gerry McCrory
Niall O'Dowd
Paraic O'Toole
Bill Shipsey, S.C.
Dick Spring, T.D.
Hope cll's well with you
Corporate Sponsors
Citywest
Doyle Hotel Group
Elan Corporation, plc
Jefferson Smurfit Group, plc
Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris
Glovsky and Popeo PC
Counsel
James F. Fitzpatrick
Richard L. Hubbard
Arnold & Porter
701 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., 9th Floor, Washington, D.C., 20004
202-434-7467 phone 202-434-7400 fax [email protected]
THE SUNDAY
BUSINESS POST
IRELAND'S FINANCIAL, POLITICAL,
AND ECONOMIC NEWSPAPER
VOL 10, NO. 25
June 21 1998
Arts people join up for
US-Ireland Alliance
members.
Scholarship, which has
icans and their ancestral
Mitchell has also agreed to
helped to forge strong links
home.
By Frank Connolly
lend his name to three new
between American political
A weekly half-hour televi-
scholarships to be funded by
leaders and Britain.
sion show in the US is also
the alliance, which will allow
Among the corporate spon-
being planned with RTE, the
Director Jim Sheridan and
US students to spend a year
sors lined up by Vargo are
Irish Times and Irish America
U2 manager Paul McGuin-
at Trinity, UCD and possibly
the Doyle Hotel Group, Elan
magazine.
ness have joined the advisory
Queen's University Belfast.
Corporation, Jefferson
"The successful lobbying
board of the US-Ireland Alli-
"Both Dublin colleges have
Smurfit and Citywest, while
done during the Clinton
ance, established recently to
agreed to provide tuition and
leading Washington law firm
years has been largely the
promote relations between
board for a year, and I am
Arnold & Porter is handling
work of a small number of
the two countries.
hoping that Queen's will join
the alliance's legal affairs.
key personalities and politi-
Formed by Trina Vargo,
the scholarship scheme to
The non-partisan, non-
cians.
for many years the key for-
make it an all-island pro-
profit alliance will emphasise
"We will not always enjoy
eign policy advisor to Senator
gramme," said Vargo, pre-
educational links, but Vargo
the same influence in the
Ted Kennedy, the alliance
sident of the alliance.
will also bring business, med-
White House, so it is impor-
also numbers Bertie Ahern,
She is hoping to raise $3
ia and cultural organisations
tant to consolidate what we
John Bruton, Ruairi Quinn
million for each scholarship,
together to strengthen the ties
have and build stronger net-
and Senator George Mitchell
and make these the Irish
between the largely unorga-
works for Ireland in Irish-
among its honorary board
equivalent of the Rhodes
nised 44 million Irish Amer-
america," Vargo said.
THE IRISH TIMES
DUBLIN, SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1998
Mitchell scholarship
M
OVES are currently underway to establish a George Mitchell
scholarship at three Irish universities - UCD, Trinity and
Queen's - to honour the former US senator and chairman of the
Northern peace talks. Trina Vargo, who six weeks ago left the
employ of Senator Ted Kennedy after 11 years to work for the US-
Ireland Alliance, was here this week setting up the operation which,
she says, will be similar to the Rhodes scholarship between the US
and Britain. It is hoped the best and the brightest will benefit and
increase the affinity between the two countries.
Ms Vargo is seeking one placement for one student per year in
each university and UCD and Trinity have already agreed to cover
the costs of tuition, room and board. But administration, flights and
2 stipend all have to be met and her job is to raise the endowment,
some £3 million for each scholarship. She hopes businesses will
contribute to thank Mitchell and to build links between the two
countries.
THE BOSTON SUNDAY GLOBE
MAY
Now it's Irish-Americans' turn to
over issues like prisoner release and the turning over of
that US law
THOMAS OLIPHANT
arms and explosives. The analogy would be with post-
A model
Dayton Agreement Bosnia.
powerful A
WASHINGTON
Over here, the danger is a loss of momentum. Ameri-
with two im]
he page that has been turned in Ireland now
ca's Irish voice, to pick an absurdly extreme example,
port politica
T
needs to be turned in the United States.
must not be that of the ostriches in the organizations
kind of ident
May's astonishing "Yes" votes in the North
that flaunted their surly, quixotic republicanism in full-
that on occ
and South, ratifying April's miraculous peace
page newspaper ads urging rejection of the peace agree-
special inter
ment.
economic fu
agreement and empowering a new majority that can rel-
My metaphor for the future can be found in donated
egate sectarian concepts of the republic and its still-Brit-
more US pa
space at a law firm here, where the US-Ireland Alliance
She plan
ish North to the past, needs to spark a complementary
is taking shape under the organizing leadership of an
Rhodes Scl
transformation in this country. It can't happen as dra-
amazing bundle of energy and vision - Trina Vargo, until
and she can
matically, but America's 44 million citizens of Irish ex-
this month Senator Edward M. Kennedy's foreign policy
ment, and (
traction need to organize a critical mass capable of sus-
staff person and one of the heroes in the back-breaking
release the
taining a future-centered relationship between their
labors that went on in recent years to make a negotiated
million peop
country and the new Ireland.
settlement possible.
inactive in ]
Other Americans have done,it well - Italians, Greeks,
What she is building is an American organization
In part 1
Jews and, increasingly, Asians, come to mind. Now it's
with support from both sides of the ocean that will pro-
raising and
the Irish-Americans' turn to transcend traditional char-
mote the US side of a new relationship with the republic
vealing. Soi
ity. culture, religion, and knee-jerk republicanism, and
and the North.
acle are on
mobilize a new generation ready to support a grown-up
This means vigorous public education, deep involve-
the Doyle
relationship with a rapidly changing country.
ment in policy issues, and relentless promotion of new
Smurfit Gr
Across the Atlantic, the short-term danger is that the
coalitions and joint ventures here and there. It will be
park. And
parties to the peace agreement will reconvene in a new
tax exempt for individual and corporate donors, but not
shots Nort]
Northern Ireland assembly in late summer and gridlock
afraid to use the 20 percent of its resources for lobbying
Now V:
THE IRISH TIMES, Wednesday, February 25, 1998
Kennedy
aide to set
up Irish
lobby in
the US
From Joe Carroll,
in Washington
A SENIOR adviser to Senator Ed-
ward Kennedy is to set up a US-
Ireland alliance to promote Irish
interests in the US on a non-profit
basis. The main emphasis will be
on education.
Ms Trina Vargo, who has been
the senator's senior foreign policy
and Northern Ireland affairs ad-
viser, will leave this post soon to
build up the new organisation.
The idea came from Senator
Kennedy himself several years ago
when he noted the lack of a large,
broad-based national organisation
devoted to the US-Ireland
relationship.
Jewish-Americans do an excel-
lent job influencing US policy, as
do those of Greek and Italian ex-
traction, but "Irish-Americans do
not have a voice in Washington
proportionate to their numbers in
the population," Ms Vargo said.
A priority will be to create a
broad membership, funding and
network base. "Of the more than
44 million Americans of Irish de-
scent, relatively few are well in-
formed about Irish issues," she
said.
At present Irish issues have
staunch defenders both in the
White House and on Capitol Hill
among certain senators and House
members, but this situation could
change in the years ahead as
people retire. Hence the need for a
more permanent structure to pro-
mote Irish interests.
"It cannot be assumed that the
Irish-American agenda will, 15
years from now, automatically en-
joy the priority on the foreign pol-
icy agenda that it does today," Ms
Vargo said.
Senator Kennedy said she was
the right person to make the US-
Ireland Alliance happen.
There will be much emphasis on
education to help US schools
learn more about modern Ireland
and its history and culture. A
weekly half-hour televised maga-
zine programme is planned. The
alliance will also work with Irish
diplomatic missions in the US.
As well as recruiting prominent
Irish-Americans to fund the Alli-
ance, Ms Vargo hopes "to create a
strong network with people in Ire-
land, North and South". Initial
funding has been provided by sev-
eral large corporations including
Dr Michael Smurfit, Elan and the
Doyle Hotels group.
Powerful New Irish
Group Established
By NIALL D'DowD
Hickey properties
it cannot be assumed that in
In commenting on the new
future years Irish American issues
THE US-Ireland Alliance. a
organization, Senator Kennedy
will automatically enjoy the
new organization aimed at edu-
said, "Trina is extremely knowl-
high priority in foreign policy
cating and informing the Amer-
edgeable about Irish issues, and
that they do today with the
ican public about Irish/U.S.
her advice and assistance have
Clinton Administration and the
issues, is to be set up in Wash-
been invaluable on all aspects
current Congress. A solid base
ington. The organization is
of these issues. The US-Ireland
- a network - needs to be
already being seen as a power-
Alliance is an excellent idea,
built with the next generation
ful new voice for Irish interests
and Trina is the right person at
of leaders."
in the U.S.
the right time to make it hap-
Vargo says that network will
The organization will be head-
pen."
include building coalitions with
ed by Trina Vargo, the highly
Vargo played a key behind
existing Irish American organi-
respected foreign affairs expert,
the scene role in securing Ame:-
zations, business. labor, gov-
who is currently on the staff of
ican involvement in the Irish
ernment, educational institu-
Senator Edward Kennedy. Vargo
peace process. She was credit-
tions and the entertainment
will be leaving her Kennedy job
ed with setting up lines of com-
and sports industries. She says
to head the US-Ireland Alliance
munication with both Senator
they will also seek to work close-
in May.
Kennedy and the White House
lv with the Irish government in
There has already been a very
for many of the Northern Ireland
the U.S. A primary focus of the
encouraging response from lead-
parties and of playing a key
new organization will be edu-
ers in America and Ireland,
trouble-shooting role with the
cation.
many of whom see such an
White House in the often tense
Vargo stresses that the new
intiuential network as a way to
negotiations that followed.
organization is non partisan.
increase links with their business
Vargo, a Pennsylvania native.
"There is no reason for division
counterparts on the other side
with Irish roots on her mother's
over party political lines," she savs.
of the Atlantic.
side, sees her new job as an
"The US- Ireland Alliance will
Among the supporters SO far
extension of that role. "Over the
seek to develop close working
are the Doyle Hotel group.
years when something needed
relationships with all admin-
Michael Smurfit, chairman of the
to done in terms of the US-Irish
istrations both in the U.S. and
Jefferson Smurfit Group. Don
relationship. such as the peace
Ireland, regardless of affilia-
Keough, the former president
process, immigration or U.S.
tions."
of Coca Cola, the Elan corpo-
business investment in Ireland,
The law firm of Arnold and
ration, Laurence Crowley of the
the Irish typically relied on Irish
Porter in Washington will pro-
UCD Smurfit Business School,
American politicians to deal
vide legal services and the US-
and Citywest, a Dublin busi-
with the issue," she says.
Ireland Alliance is already set up
ness park developed by Davy
"But Congress is changing and
as a tax exempt organization.
IRISH VOICE, Wed., Feb 25, - Tues., March 3, 1998