(16 Mar 1996) English/Nat
The leader of the political wing of the Irish Republican Army - Gerry Adams - has joined the St Patrick's Day celebrations in New York City.
Adams took communion in the city's Catholic Cathedral and then joined thousands of marchers down the city's Fifth Avenue.
Irish flags fluttered and pipe bands played as New York's Irish-Americans celebrated their national day.
Tens of thousands of marchers joined in what is considered to be America's largest parade - the 235th St Patrick's day march.
Flags, pipes, a green line down the centre of the road and other symbols of Irish nationalism turned Fifth Avenue into a home from home for Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams.
Adams--whose Sinn Fein party is the political wing of the outlawed Irish Republican Army-decided to march with the United Irish Counties Association.
Adams had to overcome political objections from the British and U-S governments in order to attend the celebrations.
The end of the I-R-A's 18-month ceasefire almost prevented him from getting a visa to enter the United States.
Another famous face in the parade was former New York mayor Ed Koch - who can't exactly claim Irish heritage but who, like many here, enjoys the celebration anyway.
Everywhere there were examples of Irish sentiment going to people's heads.
One police officer even used the occasion to propose to his girlfriend.
Earlier Gerry Adams attended Mass at New York's St. Patrick's Roman Catholic cathedral and joined a congregation of representatives from the city's Irish community.
Inside St. Patrick's, Cardinal John O'Connor pleaded with the Irish community to set aside their differences and denounce violence.
SOUNDBITE:
"I pray with you that the moral sense and Christian conviction of Irish men and women may never become obscured and blunted by the lie of violence. That nobody may call murder by any other name than murder. That the spiral of violence may never be given the distinction of unavoidable logic or necessary retaliation."
SUPERCAPTION: Cardinal John O'Connor, St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Adams was granted a visitor's visa despite the I-R-A bombing that killed two people in London last month.
In spite of this setback he says he wants all party peace talks back on the road.
SOUNDBITE:
(Question) What's your blueprint for all party talks?
"I'd like all the parties around the party and staying there until we get an agreement."
SUPERCAPTION: Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein Leader.
Irish-American sentiment is strong in New York and Adams, ever the politician, is here to use it.
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