Bertie Ahern

Today (Thursday 2 March) Dublin City University conferred the award of Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) on former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, and Professor ...

“The Belfast Agreement was eventually signed, and while it depended on many people to get over the line, no one can doubt the key role Bertie Ahern had in delivering a deal that has allowed a kind of normality that seemed impossible some years before… “Today, marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, we are proud and delighted to honour two other peacemakers. We need our young people to thrive with a decent livelihood instead of getting caught up as rich pickings for the macho men in the alphabet soup of paramilitary groups.” “As discussions on the constitutional future of Northern Ireland began in earnest in the early 1990s, there were no women representatives from Northern Ireland at Westminster or in the European Parliament. She later became Professor of Women's Studies and Social Policy at the University of Ulster. Both played pivotal roles in the creation of the Good Friday Agreement the anniversary of which we commemorate today.”

The conferring of an honorary doctorate on the former taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the peace campaigner Professor Monica McWilliams at Dublin City University ...

"These are the essential qualities of peace making. In a context now, that nobody envisaged then, their utility and importance would seem to be greater than ever," Mr Ahern said. In the worst of times Monica McWilliams didn’t accept the status quo. She had patience and she offered a different perspective. The conferring of an honorary doctorate on the former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was interrupted by protesters saying they could not let the event go ahead unchallenged. "I understand that frustration and I share it. But with imagination and determination the future that we built 25 years ago can be glimpsed." She was a changemaker because she had courage. "We have had 25 years of peace. That different perspective was essential to making, to agreeing and to then delivering on the Good Friday Agreement," Mr Ahern said. Professor Dáire Keogh, President of Dublin City University, said: "Both are bridge-builders and share an innate ability to bring people together, to find common ground, to make connections. Prof McWilliams was a founding member of the Women's Coalition and is a graduate of Queen's University Belfast and the University of Michigan.

Masked student protestors interrupted a conferring ceremony for former taoiseach Bertie Ahern and peace campaigner Professor Monica McWilliams at Dublin ...

McWilliams and Mr Ahern took significant risks and made great personal sacrifices to achieve peace. Both played pivotal roles in the creation of the Good Friday Agreement,” he said. He accused Mr Ahern of being an “architect of the financial crisis” that had a negative impact on young people.

Three men, claiming to be from the Connolly Youth Movement, stood up and said they could not let the event go unchallenged, as Mr Ahern was about to make ...

In a video of the speech posted to their Twitter account, the Connolly Youth Movement stated that their intention was to "disrupt and oppose" the conferring ceremony. They accused Mr Ahern of begin an "architect" of the financial crash, and claimed he has played a role in the mass emigration of young Irish people. "On behalf of the youth of Ireland, our friends and our families, we as students and as members of the Connolly Youth Movement cannot be idle and we cannot let an event like this go ahead unchallenged," one protester said.

Protesters disrupted Bertie Ahern's honorary graduation ceremony at DCU this morning, describing the former Taoiseach as the “architect of the financial ...

An architect of the financial crisis which lost so many young people as a result of suicide and emigration.” More importantly, I am convinced that what is to come, what is still possible, is better yet.” “We have had 25 years of peace. A spokesperson for DCU said: “Dublin City University acknowledges the protest made by the Connolly Youth Movement during today’s Honorary Graduation ceremony. But I also have a sense of perspective that twenty-five years of peace is a golden era, compared to what was and to what could have been. ruined the lives of so many young people.

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“And to make sure that new recruits to the police feel safe and they’re not looking over their shoulders.” “If there are people who have extreme views, well you try to convince them. “It’s obvious in any political party that you try to carry your people with you,” he said.

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The protesters shouted: “Bertie Ahern does not deserve any award,” as Mr Ahern walked to the podium to collect his honour. Mr Ahern stood silently with his head bowed during the protest, before resuming his walk to the podium after the protesters were removed from the hall. Mr Ahern was receiving his honorary degree to acknowledge the work he did in bringing peace to Northern Ireland 25 years ago when the Good Friday Agreement was signed. But the former Fianna Fáil leader said that he is a “huge supporter” of President Higgins as he said that he hasn’t decided if he’ll run in any election race. He said: "I'm a huge supporter of the present president, and I actually think it's disrespectful of those people in the Republic who raise the issue about who would be next. Bertie Ahern has moved to dampen down rumours that he is considering running for the presidency by saying any speculation is “disrespectful” to the incumbent, Michael D Higgins.

Last month, Dublin City University announced it would award the former Taoiseach an honorary degree because of his work on the Good Friday Agreement.

Members of the Connolly Youth Movement were out today to disrupt and oppose an event in place of Ireland’s biggest crook Bertie Ahern. “We are opposed to the celebration of a corrupt politician who ruined the lives of so many young people; an architect of the financial crisis which [led to the] loss of so many young people as a result of suicide and emigration.” “On behalf of the youth of Ireland, our friends and our families, we as members of the Connolly Youth Movement cannot be idle and we cannot let an event like this go ahead unchallenged,” one said.

Dublin City University was conferring the award of Doctor of Philosophy on Ahern and Professor Monica McWilliams.

The protestors interrupted after a degree had been conferred on Monica McWilliams and just as Ahern was about to start his speech. For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away. More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.