0:00:16 > 0:00:20In late 1994, my life was about to change,
0:00:20 > 0:00:22in ways I had never imagined.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25I'm Senator George Mitchell.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32After a long career in law, and then another in politics...
0:00:32 > 0:00:35'I want to tell you, winning is a hell of a lot better!'
0:00:36 > 0:00:41..I was about to settle down to a life out of the public eye.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46But a friend of mine had other ideas and he could be very persuasive.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50I thought he needed something to do to keep him in public life.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53He was one of the most gifted people I ever knew.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56I suppose I was unwittingly dishonest with him
0:00:56 > 0:00:59because I said, look, George, this is not like the Supreme Court
0:00:59 > 0:01:01or the Senate, it's just a part-time job!
0:01:02 > 0:01:05That part-time job became the most demanding role of my life.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12Initially I served as President Clinton's envoy to Northern Ireland.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Ceasefires had been announced, but there was little sign of peace.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23Then in 1996, the British and Irish governments
0:01:23 > 0:01:27asked me to chair peace negotiations.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32It wasn't difficult to say yes, but my appointment caused a problem
0:01:32 > 0:01:35for some of those already at the table.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39I never thought that Ulster would be sold as it was sold tonight.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43I am certainly questioning his political background
0:01:43 > 0:01:48as an envoy of the United States President.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50The talks continued for two years.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54At times I thought we would never reach agreement.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57I want to emphasise to you, this is not a matter of time.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00We've been at this for two years.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04It could be discussed for another two years or for another 20 years.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11In 1997, when my wife gave birth to our son, Andrew,
0:02:11 > 0:02:12back home in New York,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16I did consider leaving Northern Ireland for good.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18But I stuck with it
0:02:18 > 0:02:22and finally we managed to get the Good Friday Agreement.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Northern Ireland today has the promise of a springtime of peace.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30I was overcome with emotion
0:02:30 > 0:02:35and before I left Belfast, I made a promise.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38One day, I would return with my son, Andrew.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42We would sit in the visitors' gallery,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45watching the Northern Ireland assembly debate.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52Today, I am back in Northern Ireland to honour that commitment.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58Over the next four days, we're going to find out
0:02:58 > 0:03:00how Northern Ireland has changed since 1998.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07Andrew and I will visit families with whom we share a special bond.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12Did the Good Friday Agreement change their lives or not?
0:03:15 > 0:03:19I know the people of Northern Ireland live in more peaceful times,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22but has there been the reconciliation I hoped for
0:03:22 > 0:03:25back in 1998?
0:03:25 > 0:03:29Andrew and I are about to find out.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46# I'll take Manhattan
0:03:49 > 0:03:53# The Bronx and Staten Island, too... #
0:03:58 > 0:04:01See if you can find Belfast.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04'At our home in Manhattan,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08'my family and I are preparing for our trip to Northern Ireland.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13'It's a journey I made many times during the peace talks,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15'but this visit will be different.'
0:04:17 > 0:04:21Well, this was the trip that he talked about early on
0:04:21 > 0:04:22when Andrew was an infant.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26One day I would like to go back with my young son.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30The thought at that time, with an infant,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33foreshadowing and looking in the future,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36we didn't know then that this day would come
0:04:36 > 0:04:40where they would really be peace in Northern Ireland
0:04:40 > 0:04:43and that he would be able to go back with his son as a teenager.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47So I think it's a very exciting trip.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51In fact, it's almost unbelievable
0:04:51 > 0:04:54because there were many, many times when I wondered
0:04:54 > 0:04:56if an agreement would ever be reached.
0:04:56 > 0:05:02When I returned home to New York for Andrew's birth in 1997,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04I wasn't sure I'd ever go back to Northern Ireland.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10There was always someone missing, someone protesting,
0:05:10 > 0:05:11someone walked out,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13someone expelled,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15someone suspended,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18someone came back, someone else left.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21It was trying to keep it together
0:05:21 > 0:05:25in a way that seemed impossible at the time.
0:05:25 > 0:05:32So when the two Unionist parties walked out on Sinn Fein's entrance,
0:05:32 > 0:05:37we encountered what was another problem that we hadn't had before
0:05:37 > 0:05:39and we had to try to figure it out.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41That was very difficult.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45And it was in that context that I returned to the United States,
0:05:45 > 0:05:50in the middle of October, 1997, to be present at Andrew's birth.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55He was there for the birth,
0:05:55 > 0:06:01which was obviously a very, very happy, happy moment.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07But he did come home discouraged.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11And discouraged at the point in the process,
0:06:11 > 0:06:17and talked about perhaps maybe this is not going anywhere.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Maybe this is the time to, for me to just throw in the towel.
0:06:23 > 0:06:30I recall clearly Andrew was born October 16th, 1997.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35And as I held him on that first day,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41I was, in my mind,
0:06:41 > 0:06:47always thinking about this internal conflict I had,
0:06:47 > 0:06:51and I began to wonder about how many children
0:06:51 > 0:06:56were born in Northern Ireland on this day.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01From the corridor in the hospital,
0:07:01 > 0:07:05I made a call to my assistant in Belfast to find out.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07The answer was 61.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11It just stuck with me -
0:07:11 > 0:07:15somewhere in Northern Ireland there are 61 boys and girls,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20and I'm certain that each of them has parents
0:07:20 > 0:07:25who have the same hopes and dreams that Heather and I do.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31He was determined
0:07:31 > 0:07:37not to shortchange being a husband, being a father. Doing it right.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40So it was a difficult thing for him.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44I think in the end...
0:07:46 > 0:07:48..the prospect that we might well
0:07:48 > 0:07:51have a lasting peace was so overwhelming
0:07:51 > 0:07:53and he realised that events
0:07:53 > 0:07:56had conspired to put him in a unique position
0:07:56 > 0:08:01where both sides trusted him, at least enough
0:08:01 > 0:08:04to manage this whole complex process.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09And he had skills in doing so that no other available person had.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12I think he decided to stick it out and it was the right decision
0:08:12 > 0:08:14and the right decision for his son.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18And for the world that his son would live in.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Six months later, the Good Friday Agreement was reached
0:08:22 > 0:08:25and I took my wife and baby son to Northern Ireland
0:08:25 > 0:08:28to mark the occasion.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31I had, however, already made a promise to myself
0:08:31 > 0:08:33that one day I would bring him back.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Andrew is now 14 years old
0:08:39 > 0:08:44and as part of the trip he'll meet with some of those 61 children
0:08:44 > 0:08:46who were born on the same day as him.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52It's a chance to meet their families and to compare lives with them.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58You know, it's interesting
0:08:58 > 0:09:00and at some points unbelievable,
0:09:00 > 0:09:04to think that there are 61 children born the same day as he is.
0:09:04 > 0:09:11The exact same day. It's kind of a fun thing to think about.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13- Do you enjoy school? - Yeah. I like it, yeah.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Do you feel you have to say that because Mum and Dad are listening?
0:09:16 > 0:09:18No. I like school.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- He is class president now.- Yeah.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25- Very good.- For this term. There are three different terms.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27What does the class President have to do?
0:09:29 > 0:09:33Well, it's basically what happens is there's a class president,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36each class elects a person
0:09:36 > 0:09:38And there's a meeting with the class
0:09:38 > 0:09:43and the class says we want this, or this needs to be fixed.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44And then we - the class presidents -
0:09:44 > 0:09:47meet with the headmaster and we will tell him
0:09:47 > 0:09:49and he'll write it down and then,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55theoretically, you know, fix or do the stuff.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Most of it has to do with food and lunch period.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Politics runs in the family.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Well, I was never elected class president at that age.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12- So I'd say he's quite a bit ahead of me already.- HEATHER:- Yeah.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15And will you be seeking re-election?
0:10:15 > 0:10:17No you can't. You can only do one term.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25Well, I'm looking forward to going to Ireland and Northern Ireland,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29and sort of seeing where my dad was for all those years
0:10:29 > 0:10:30when I was a little baby.
0:10:34 > 0:10:40I think it'll be interesting to see all the people who where born on the same exact day as I was.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44And see how their lives are different from mine.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52I want my son to see and learn about Northern Ireland.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Because Northern Ireland means so much to me
0:10:57 > 0:11:00and my son means so much to me that I want the two of them to be acquainted.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23It's the first day of the trip.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Andrew and I begin with a taxi tour of west Belfast.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29I'm going to meet an old friend
0:11:29 > 0:11:33who represented the loyalist para- militaries during the peace talks.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38- Are you Andrew? Please to meet you, Andrew.- Nice to meet you.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41- Hello, Plum.- Hello, Senator. - How are you?- How you doin'?
0:11:41 > 0:11:43- Good to see you.- Long time!
0:11:43 > 0:11:45- You look really good.- You think so?
0:11:45 > 0:11:50- You've lost a lot of weight.- Oh, yes, well, I'm a diabetic, so...
0:11:50 > 0:11:51You look very good.
0:11:51 > 0:11:58'Plum Smith works with former prisoners from both sides of the community here.
0:11:58 > 0:12:03'He's also involved in telling tourists about the area's political and cultural history.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07'Ironically, the peace wall is now an attraction.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12'The wall is adorned with graffiti and personal messages
0:12:12 > 0:12:15'left by the thousands of tourists who come to see it.'
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Most of the messages are positive.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21I see "Make love not war."
0:12:23 > 0:12:27As we leave our mark, we are joined by the man who formally announced
0:12:27 > 0:12:31an end to the IRA's campaign.
0:12:31 > 0:12:36He now works at a community level with Plum and other loyalists -
0:12:36 > 0:12:40for me it's a clear sign of how times have changed.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46My name is Seanna Walsh. I was an IRA prisoner at the time of the GFA
0:12:46 > 0:12:49and I was released as a result of the GFA.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51I currently work with coaiste
0:12:51 > 0:12:55which is the Irish Republican ex-prisoners association.
0:12:55 > 0:13:01And ourselves and Epic and some of the other groups
0:13:01 > 0:13:05are constantly involved in engagements -
0:13:05 > 0:13:07hopefully to break down some of the walls in peoples heads
0:13:07 > 0:13:12before we can tackle the walls that exist here on this part of the road.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25Seanna and myself have been working over the last couple of years with coaiste,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28making joint tours, joint seminars, joint discussions, etc.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33- Involved in a lot of projects. - Great.- That's the peace process.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38I think all of us can learn a lot from what you are doing.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44I'm delighted to see how some things have changed,
0:13:44 > 0:13:49but this peace wall shows how other things have stayed the same.
0:13:49 > 0:13:55On my first ever trip, in February 1995,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58I visited the peace wall in Belfast.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01It was one of the most depressing structures I've ever seen.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Despite all the progress in Northern Ireland,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08its still surprising that there are now
0:14:08 > 0:14:13MORE so-called peace walls than there were in the 1990s.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15See the cages at the back of the homes?
0:14:15 > 0:14:18The way the homes are fortified. Still to this day.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Because we're still not completely at the end game,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23but we are getting there.
0:14:23 > 0:14:28Andrew, what's your initial reaction when you see the cages and the wall?
0:14:28 > 0:14:31- I'm sure you've never seen that before.- No.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33I've never really seen that.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38- Would you like to live like that? - Not really.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42- What do you think the people feel? - I can't even imagine.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48- It's a very depressing sight still, isn't it?- It is. Yes, it is.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54And, of course, for someone who has never seen this,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58what is striking is the immediacy.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01This is right up against these houses.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04This wall goes right through the middle of an urban area.
0:15:06 > 0:15:12I think everyone's objective ought to be to reach the time when the wall is gone, the cages are gone,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15and neighbours are neighbours
0:15:15 > 0:15:18whichever side of the street they are on.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21In the meantime, we all have to do our best
0:15:21 > 0:15:24to make sure there's no sliding back into conflict.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36We're off to rural County Fermanagh.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41We're going to meet one of the families I had on my mind
0:15:41 > 0:15:45when Andrew was born 14 years ago.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Hello, I'm Martin. We're the Robinson family.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54We live outside the village of Derrygonnelly in County Fermanagh.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56I'm Mary and I'm the mum.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58I'm Adrian. I'm Conor's brother.
0:15:58 > 0:16:03I'm Conor, I'm the youngest in the family and I was born on the 16th of October, 1997.
0:16:04 > 0:16:12The Robinson family has lived at their home outside the village of Derrygonnelly for 19 years.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Mary, is a nurse at the local hospital in Enniskillen
0:16:16 > 0:16:20and Martin, originally from South Armagh, is on the farm.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Their son Conor loves animals.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27When he's not at school,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31he spends his spare time with the pets the family keep on their land.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38- Hello.- Hello, Senator Mitchell. You're very welcome to the Robinson household in Glenashaver.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43Such a privilege. I never thought I'd see the day Senator Mitchell would be in Glenashaver!
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Thank you. Very nice to be here.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51'The surroundings here are very different from Manhattan,
0:16:51 > 0:16:52'where we now live.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56'But the green fields do remind me of my home state of Maine.'
0:16:56 > 0:16:58..but also it's very nice here.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Every one knows every one about here, and they're all friends,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05and help out everyone
0:17:05 > 0:17:08around their places and properties.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16In our school there's people that, like, every one knows, every one's friends with.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18There's nobody, like, we don't know.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- You've a lot to show Andrew, haven't you?- I have.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Sure we'll go and look round the animals now, Andrew.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- Have you got a pair of wellies? - No, I didn't bring one.
0:17:27 > 0:17:32We'll get you kitted out with something to keep you clean.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34- Cos it's Fermanagh you're in! - ALL LAUGH
0:17:36 > 0:17:39As Conor takes Andrew around the farm,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41I get to chat with his mother and father.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Martin mentioned the Good Friday Agreement
0:17:47 > 0:17:52and I was wondering what changes that's made in your life
0:17:52 > 0:17:57and especially with relation to Conor and Adrian, your children.
0:17:57 > 0:18:03Yeah. Well, really, I suppose it has brought about a lot of change,
0:18:03 > 0:18:08because, you know, when we would've been growing up
0:18:08 > 0:18:11at the same age of Adrian and Conor,
0:18:11 > 0:18:16we were faced all the time with the security forces were on the road.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19We had permanent Army checkpoints,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22in fact, on this road between our house here and Derrygonnelly.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25There really wasn't a night that you went out on the road
0:18:25 > 0:18:28but you were stopped somewhere along the road,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31whereas that never really happens now.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36Are you confident now that this trouble is passed,
0:18:36 > 0:18:41is in the background now, and we will progress even to a brighter future?
0:18:42 > 0:18:44I think in human affairs nothing is certain.
0:18:44 > 0:18:50No, no. You never really can say for sure, but as much as one can tell,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52yes, I think that is the case.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59They're not fully grown yet.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03Have you ever experienced any problems or troubles here?
0:19:03 > 0:19:06No, never experienced it since your father done the...
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Since the peace process.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14I've heard mum and dad talk about problems and troubles there was
0:19:14 > 0:19:20but, like, I've never experienced any troubles or nothing like that.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24So it worked out successful in the end of your father's work, so it did.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29It's kind of weird to think that my dad was...not really...
0:19:29 > 0:19:33He doesn't really seem like that type of person to me because I'm his son.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37- That he did such great things. - Yeah.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39It's hard to believe that me and you is the same day.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44Yeah, yeah. I've never met anyone with the same exact birthday.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- You've more to meet in the next few days, have you?- Yeah, I think so.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54MRS ROBINSON: It's all about money now.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57It's not about the Troubles now, it's about money.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02And even being a nurse myself, and working in the Health Service,
0:20:02 > 0:20:07it's all about saving the pounds, cutbacks, you know.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11- MR ROBINSON:- I suppose we would be hoping that employment will become more widespread
0:20:11 > 0:20:17and that our children won't be stepping on a plane for America, Australia or wherever.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26It's really nice of you to permit us to come into your home,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28because I really wanted my son to meet Conor
0:20:28 > 0:20:33and to get a sense from him of what life is like for someone here.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37- MR ROBINSON:- Given the success of the Good Friday Agreement,
0:20:37 > 0:20:41which has clearly made Northern Ireland a better place,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Senator George Mitchell will be spoke about and talked about
0:20:44 > 0:20:47- for many years to come in Northern Ireland.- Thank you.
0:20:47 > 0:20:53- MRS ROBINSON: Are yous ready for something to eat?- I am.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57- A cup of tea, Andrew?- Er, I'm OK. - You're sure? Some juice?- Yes, please.
0:20:58 > 0:21:05I liked it. Lots of animals and a nice area around here.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08MR ROBINSON: Does your life style compare?
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Yeah, it's a lot different!
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Strange having the same birth date, so it is. Same day.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18- MR ROBINSON:- That's one thing you certainly have in common.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22- That'll never change. - That'll never change.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28'That date will never change, but at the end of our first day,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32'I'm left in little doubt that Northern Ireland has.'
0:21:46 > 0:21:47It's a beautiful morning
0:21:47 > 0:21:50and Andrew and I are off to meet with another family.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52This time in County Down.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Hello, we're the Best family. We're from Comber. I'm Peter.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59- I'm Heather.- I'm Sarah.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03And I'm Alex and I was born the 16th of October, 1997.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10The Best family live in Comber - just outside Belfast.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15Peter is an architect and Heather is originally from County Donegal.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20They are a Christian family, much involved in their church.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26Over the past 14 years, since the birth of their son Alex,
0:22:26 > 0:22:30they, like the Robinson family in Fermanagh,
0:22:30 > 0:22:34have noticed huge changes in Northern Ireland.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Alex goes to school at Campbell College
0:22:39 > 0:22:41and today he's taking Andrew on a tour.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44- Hello.- Hi, Andrew. I'm Alex. Welcome to Campbell.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46How do you do? J Piggot, headmaster. Welcome.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49How does your school compare to this Victorian building?
0:22:49 > 0:22:52It's much smaller. It's six floors.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55- It's a modern building? - One building. Yeah.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58- We'll shake hands here.- All right.- I hope it's a good afternoon.- Thank you.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03While Andrew goes to school with Alex,
0:23:03 > 0:23:07my daughter Claire and I meet with Heather and Peter.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11- My name's Peter.- Peter, very nice to meet you.- My name's Heather.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14- A familiar name for us!- So I hear!
0:23:14 > 0:23:19'For Peter, the Good Friday Agreement, made a very practical difference.'
0:23:19 > 0:23:22- How old is Sarah?- Sarah is seven.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26The first time I ever voted was in the Good Friday Agreement.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29And whenever I was thinking about this
0:23:29 > 0:23:33the reason I didn't vote was because I couldn't see anything to vote for,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36because it was all orange and green politics.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39They were just arguing amongst themselves.
0:23:39 > 0:23:45But now I would vote but what I would vote for people that... help me.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50We, particularly in political life, make decisions based on
0:23:50 > 0:23:53who's on the other side.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57Instead of thinking about the idea - is it a good or a bad idea - in isolation?
0:23:57 > 0:24:02You think, well, if he's for it and he's the opposition...
0:24:02 > 0:24:05- I must be against it. - I must be against it!
0:24:05 > 0:24:10And that thought dominated political life in Northern Ireland for a very long time.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14And I do think that is changing very much, now.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19- So, your school is quite like this, but just...- Yeah, much smaller.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23It's a building. There's no outside grounds. It's, like, IN the city.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26I just get on with normal everyday life.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30It's basically making sure that we do the best for them.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34Making sure we can pay our bills, making sure that we are well,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36those are the issues that we look at now.
0:24:41 > 0:24:47How do you feel, you know, basically the DUP is the major Unionist in government
0:24:47 > 0:24:50- and they were against the agreement. - Yes.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54And there they are operating it, effectively.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Is there not a certain irony in that?
0:24:57 > 0:25:02Well, life takes funny twists and turns, and that's one of them.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06One of the realities of human history
0:25:06 > 0:25:13is that often times revolutions take dramatic reversals
0:25:13 > 0:25:17and people do change their minds.
0:25:17 > 0:25:24And often those who make the initial sacrifice bear the cost.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27You could say that life is unfair,
0:25:27 > 0:25:34but it just happens in life that sometimes you don't get all the credit you should
0:25:34 > 0:25:42for what you did and things don't turn out perfectly fairly in each individual person
0:25:42 > 0:25:45or each individual party's score sheet.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49But the important thing is whether society as a whole benefits.
0:25:49 > 0:25:57'At school, Andrew is interested to see if life has changed for people of his age.'
0:25:58 > 0:26:02Do you guys have many friends who are from different backgrounds?
0:26:02 > 0:26:09I think we probably do but we don't ask, if that makes sense.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12I mean, we wouldn't ask if someone is Catholic or Protestant.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15That wouldn't influence it in any way.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17We probably just don't know.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20There isn't really much of a difference between Protestant and Catholic.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23It isn't really brought up in conversation.
0:26:23 > 0:26:29And if, say, one of my friends was Catholic, I wouldn't really be that bothered with that.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32'While there seems to be a change in attitude among the younger generation,
0:26:32 > 0:26:39'its clear that for their parents much has remained the same.'
0:26:39 > 0:26:42We're not a less segregated society, we're a more open society,
0:26:42 > 0:26:46but, you know, you still live in the same town
0:26:46 > 0:26:49as your mother or your sisters or your brothers,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52so whilst you might have taken the sectarian element out of it,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56by virtue of the fact that this is where you've lived and this is where you want to live,
0:26:56 > 0:27:02it takes a long time for the inertia to sort of break apart the two sides.
0:27:02 > 0:27:08And, you know, Comber is, I'm guessing, but I would think it's more than 90% Protestant.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Not because Catholics aren't welcome,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12it's just that's the way it is,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15because historically that's the way it has been.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18I think it does take a longer time.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21I told a story yesterday of before I came here,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24I spent quite a bit of time in the Balkans
0:27:24 > 0:27:27when they were going through their troubles.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30This young man, a mayor, was showing me around and I said to him,
0:27:30 > 0:27:38"How long will it take, do you think, before Serbs and Croats can live side by side in peace here?"
0:27:38 > 0:27:45And he addressed just the point that you did, that people lived in segregated areas
0:27:45 > 0:27:52and you can't just wave a magic wand or expect all of a sudden
0:27:52 > 0:27:55people are going to pack up and move into a different area.
0:27:55 > 0:28:01He said it just takes a very long time, in which you first get the end conflict,
0:28:01 > 0:28:06then you establish peace as a normality.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10It's not an unusual thing, it's the normal thing.
0:28:10 > 0:28:16Then you get genuine reconciliation. And he said over time they will integrate.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18And I think the same thing is going to happen here.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20BIRDSONG
0:28:20 > 0:28:22And that's Stormont over there. See?
0:28:22 > 0:28:27Yeah. My Dad worked there for a bit of time as you probably know.
0:28:27 > 0:28:34So what did he actually do? I mean, I know he did something, but what he actually did is?
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Yeah. Well, as you probably know,
0:28:37 > 0:28:43the majority of the people in Northern Ireland are either Catholic or Protestant.
0:28:43 > 0:28:48- Yeah.- And as you probably know they had a little bit of conflict for a while.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51- I would probably say a bit more than a little.- Yeah.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55So, yeah, he basically sat down with both sides
0:28:55 > 0:28:58and it took five years but he figured it out.
0:28:58 > 0:29:04And erm...that's pretty much what he did.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08Yeah. It must have been quite difficult.
0:29:08 > 0:29:14It probably was, it took five years, so... (LAUGHS) I can imagine.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18True. I must say if I were him, I'd probably say, "I think I'll go home."
0:29:18 > 0:29:26Well, I think, when we were born, he was going to, but he changed his mind and came back.
0:29:26 > 0:29:31He could have stayed at home to look after you, but he decided to come over here to help me?
0:29:31 > 0:29:35- Yeah. Exactly. (LAUGHS) - Well, tell him thanks.- Yeah.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46The Northern Ireland Assembly has gone through many ups and downs.
0:29:46 > 0:29:51For me, the opportunity to come back here
0:29:51 > 0:29:55keeps the promise I made when Andrew was just a newborn baby.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59What's it like to drive up here now, today?
0:29:59 > 0:30:05It's a very pleasant memory. It wasn't always pleasant then, but it's very nice now!
0:30:08 > 0:30:10There it is.
0:30:10 > 0:30:18After an unsteady beginning, the Assembly has now reached a degree of stability.
0:30:18 > 0:30:25The agenda for today's proceedings is very ordinary, exactly what I'd always hoped for.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Among the topics for discussion,
0:30:27 > 0:30:34animal welfare and a report from a minister on a meeting he attended in Brussels.
0:30:34 > 0:30:39Andrew and I take our seats in the visitors' gallery.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41The focus was on good practice...
0:30:41 > 0:30:47The low-key nature of the debate confirms that this really is democracy in action,
0:30:47 > 0:30:54and it's fulfilling to see how the Assembly struggles with the day-to-day issues.
0:30:54 > 0:31:01I'm delighted to be joined by Heather and Claire to share this occasion.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04And by some old friends from the press corp. Hi, Ken.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06Today is the day.
0:31:06 > 0:31:13I had a really wonderful experience with my son sitting up in the gallery at the Assembly.
0:31:13 > 0:31:19Some might regard it as boring... I personally regard it as very exciting.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23Before we leave, the Speaker of the Assembly
0:31:23 > 0:31:28invited Andrew and me to sign the visitor's book.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32I said, "Mr Speaker, thank you for your hospitality and for all that you and the members of the Assembly
0:31:32 > 0:31:37"do for the people of Northern Ireland. We love this place and the people here!"
0:31:37 > 0:31:40- Thank you very much, Senator. - Good luck to you.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44- Thank you. And to you, Andrew. Thank you for coming along. - I had a good time.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48- Much appreciated. Thank you. - OK, we're good.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52It was good to see how my dad's ambition was achieved.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55I think it was, and coming here, seeing this building
0:31:55 > 0:32:01was definitely another aspect of this trip that was very enjoyable.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03And in relation to your dad's ambition,
0:32:03 > 0:32:08it's a nice moment for the two of you sitting up there just watching it.
0:32:08 > 0:32:13- Did you feel that as well?- Yeah. It was very peaceful in the chamber. - It was.
0:32:13 > 0:32:21But, yeah, I definitely did. He probably felt it more than I did, but it was definitely there.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25- You were happy to share this experience with your dad?- Yes, I was.
0:32:25 > 0:32:30- Not as happy as his dad was to share it with him. - I was pretty happy.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32HE LAUGHS
0:32:36 > 0:32:43- Who was Carson?- Carson was a very famous Unionist leader
0:32:43 > 0:32:47back in the early part of the 20th century.
0:32:47 > 0:32:53He was the inspirational force for the Unionist movement for a long time.
0:32:53 > 0:32:58There's a hotel right across the street and that's where I stayed.
0:32:58 > 0:33:04And on the... We got the agreement on a Friday evening
0:33:04 > 0:33:11and then on Saturday I left there to go back to the US
0:33:11 > 0:33:14to take Andrew and Mommy for a walk in Central Park.
0:33:14 > 0:33:19I'd promised Mommy I'd be home on Easter Sunday for a walk in Central Park.
0:33:19 > 0:33:25And Andrew was then, I would say, about six months old.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29Mummy had that little... carry thing, yeah.
0:33:29 > 0:33:34So we went for a nice walk in Central Park and, this is a true story,
0:33:34 > 0:33:40we were walking in Central Park and the very first person we came across
0:33:40 > 0:33:44came up to me and said, "I'm from Northern Ireland."
0:33:44 > 0:33:47- Yeah?- Yeah. And she thanked me.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51She said, "It's really wonderful to read about the news," and so forth.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53In the middle of Manhattan.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01The system of government here may not be perfect, but what system is?
0:34:01 > 0:34:08The divisions are still clear, but that reflects the divisions that remain in the wider society.
0:34:18 > 0:34:25The third day of our visit begins with a trip to a project that didn't exist when I first came to Belfast.
0:34:25 > 0:34:31- The hulls are the same size as the Titanic would have been. - Wow! That is really phenomenal.
0:34:31 > 0:34:39The new Titanic Visitors Centre represents a very different Northern Ireland.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41This is a symbol of what's been achieved.
0:34:43 > 0:34:49But not everyone believes that all the change has been for the better.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54Hi, we're the Stephenson's from County Down. I'm Dad, Ian. And this is my family.
0:34:54 > 0:35:00- Hi. I'm Nicola.- I'm Sophie. - I'm Molly.- Hi. I'm Emily.- I'm Lucy.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04And I was born on the 16th of October, 1997.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08The Stephensons are from County Down.
0:35:08 > 0:35:13Their four girls range in age from 9 to 18.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16Ian is a serving police officer.
0:35:16 > 0:35:22The continuing threat posed by dissident Republicans is a constant worry.
0:35:22 > 0:35:28When Lucy was born they felt life did improve for a short time,
0:35:28 > 0:35:34but in recent years the ongoing security threat has cast a shadow over their lives.
0:35:34 > 0:35:40Lucy is a typical teenager who enjoys being with her friends.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43She practices archery once a week,
0:35:43 > 0:35:48and has taken Andrew, with her sisters, to the local leisure centre for a lesson.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54- (I don't want this on video!) - SHE LAUGHS
0:35:54 > 0:35:59So we were born on the same day, the same year, but you have four more years of experience.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02- And I'm a girl. - Yeah.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Do your parents do archery?
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Yeah. My mum and dad are into archery. They do it every weekend.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12They would go out and shoot in the forests and stuff.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16- Are they good?- Yeah, they are.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18They like to think they're good.
0:36:18 > 0:36:23Yeah. That's kind of the similar to my dad.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26So, what's life like in New York?
0:36:26 > 0:36:29Erm... it's pretty cool.
0:36:29 > 0:36:36There's' a lot of people, it's really busy, but I like it.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40I'm sure it's pretty different from the countryside in Northern Ireland and stuff.
0:36:40 > 0:36:46- Yeah.- Do you get that in New York? - Not really. You have to go out pretty far for that.- Yeah.
0:36:46 > 0:36:52- It's erm... Yeah. But I go to Maine in the summer and that's pretty nice.- Yeah.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54It's a little bit like here.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59Tell me a little bit about your life here, what it's been like in the past few years.
0:36:59 > 0:37:06I think probably from when Lucy was born there seemed to be relative peace in Northern Ireland in '97.
0:37:06 > 0:37:11With the Good Friday Agreement, when it was signed, things did look to be better.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15Certainly that's what the media was portraying, that Northern Ireland was a new place.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18Everybody seemed to have been swept up in this wave of peace.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Yes. And then with Ian being in the police,
0:37:21 > 0:37:25you always had that worry, "What if this all starts again?"
0:37:25 > 0:37:30And I think over recent years, from the murder of Stephen Carol and Ronan Kerr,
0:37:30 > 0:37:36since they have been killed, you just can't relax the way you used to relax, I don't feel.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38You're always on your guard.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42Our children would be very much aware they don't go out to the car unless it has been checked.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46You check under your car every morning. My car and Ian's car.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50So peace for us really isn't very peaceful here,
0:37:50 > 0:37:55because you've got that threat always hanging over you.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59But what people see is just what the media want them to see.
0:37:59 > 0:38:04- They don't know most of what's going on behind the scenes.- Yeah.
0:38:04 > 0:38:10In the Police Service, is there greater integration there over time?
0:38:10 > 0:38:14There's a lot more, yes. And it is actually good to see.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17Have you ever had any troubles? Have you ever experienced that?
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Not really, but you would hear on the radio
0:38:20 > 0:38:24about soldiers and policemen being shot and bombs going off and stuff.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29- Do you ever worry about your Dad? - Yeah, sometimes. Whenever a policeman's been shot you think,
0:38:29 > 0:38:33"That could have been my dad!" That sort of thing.
0:38:33 > 0:38:39But, yeah...you do worry about it.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42Of course not everyone was in favour of the Good Friday Agreement
0:38:42 > 0:38:47and Nicola was one of those who found it difficult to accept.
0:38:47 > 0:38:55It was a case for me of right and wrong, and how can you reward people who do wrong?
0:38:55 > 0:38:58And I felt very much that's what the Good Friday Agreement did.
0:38:58 > 0:39:05And how do I teach my children about right and wrong and then say, "Look who's running our country."
0:39:05 > 0:39:11It's not people who have done right. To me, if my children do wrong, they're punished.
0:39:11 > 0:39:16Not if they scream loud enough, they shout loud enough, I give in and give them what they want.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20And that's in essence what I think happened in Northern Ireland.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23People didn't behave in a very good way.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27- They were put in prison for it. - And they've been rewarded.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29They let people out of prison.
0:39:29 > 0:39:34Now, I'm very lucky because nobody very close to me was killed in the Troubles.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36Ian's uncle was killed in the Troubles,
0:39:36 > 0:39:40because he was a Protestant in the wrong place at the wrong time.
0:39:40 > 0:39:47But how do you tell that to people that that's right, they are never going to see their loved ones again?
0:39:47 > 0:39:50How do you say that's right to somebody?
0:39:50 > 0:39:51Right, right.
0:39:53 > 0:39:58I don't think you can explain it to anybody in a satisfactory way,
0:39:58 > 0:40:04because I think loss is so personal
0:40:04 > 0:40:08and grief is so natural and normal
0:40:08 > 0:40:13that I don't think people can be, or should be asked
0:40:13 > 0:40:16to forget and forgive individuals.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20And I think the hope for the future will be,
0:40:20 > 0:40:28that in future generations the numbers of people that have suffered personal loss
0:40:28 > 0:40:33will be fewer in the next generation, fewer still in the generation beyond.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36Hopefully, your daughters will never have to go through what you went through,
0:40:36 > 0:40:39and their children won't have to go through.
0:40:39 > 0:40:44And in time you can see a hope for genuine reconciliation.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49I don't... I don't think that it's there yet
0:40:51 > 0:40:55At archery, Andrew and Lucy are getting on well
0:40:55 > 0:41:00and the conversation has turned to common interests, music and the internet.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03THEY CHAT
0:41:03 > 0:41:09It's not just Andrew and Lucy who have discovered they have some things in common.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11And I really hope and pray that Lucy
0:41:11 > 0:41:14ends up with the same kind of opportunities
0:41:14 > 0:41:18that Andrew or the other children of the same age have.
0:41:18 > 0:41:23It's a bit hard in your position and Andrew's position, how do they beat what Dad has done?
0:41:23 > 0:41:29How do they live up to what Dad has contributed to not only America but to Northern Ireland,
0:41:29 > 0:41:35the Middle East and all the jobs you have done over your long career. And it's still going.
0:41:35 > 0:41:41I suppose he has a lot to live up to, Lucy doesn't have the same...
0:41:41 > 0:41:45I have to be careful and patient with him in that respect.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47Everybody's got to be his own man.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51- Absolutely.- Or woman. And do what he or she can do,
0:41:51 > 0:41:55and not be bound by what the expectations are.
0:41:55 > 0:42:00- So I try to be very respectful and not too bossy. - THEY LAUGH
0:42:00 > 0:42:05But it's very difficult, I know as a parent it's very difficult not to push them in certain directions
0:42:05 > 0:42:08that you think would be the best thing for them
0:42:08 > 0:42:12and what you perhaps were interested in, or maybe what you didn't do.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15What would you like to see Andrew doing when he grows up?
0:42:15 > 0:42:17Would you like to see him going into politics?
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Really, I don't care.
0:42:20 > 0:42:26I don't think he'll want to get into politics, because having seen it,
0:42:26 > 0:42:30some of it's tough, particularly the separation from family is very hard.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34And I was talking to Heather about it just last week,
0:42:34 > 0:42:37all we want to do is to get him to the point
0:42:37 > 0:42:42where he has the intelligence and the judgment and the maturity to make a good choice of his own.
0:42:42 > 0:42:48- Yes, absolutely.- So I try not to push him at all in any direction.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52But as long as you feel like you're doing something that you like
0:42:52 > 0:42:57and working successfully, that's really all I care about for him.
0:43:01 > 0:43:07As with the other families, the Stephensons were frank and honest in their opinions.
0:43:07 > 0:43:13In some ways they are very different from those of the other families I've met on this trip,
0:43:13 > 0:43:16but as parents we all share a lot in common.
0:43:19 > 0:43:20BIRDSONG
0:43:22 > 0:43:25It's our final day in Northern Ireland.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29I want to bring my son to my old office at Castle Buildings,
0:43:29 > 0:43:34where I spent so much of my time during the peace negotiations.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37I haven't been there since the day we got the agreement.
0:43:37 > 0:43:43On the journey, I tell Andrew about some of the problems during the talks.
0:43:43 > 0:43:48What I had anticipated would take just a few days, agreeing on a simple set of rules,
0:43:48 > 0:43:51ended up taking months.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54And it was...
0:43:54 > 0:44:00a very painful and painstaking and argumentative process.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04That was a very long...description of the buildings.
0:44:04 > 0:44:10Andrew's been rather consistently critically
0:44:10 > 0:44:12commenting on the lengths of my answers,
0:44:12 > 0:44:16especially when we're outside.
0:44:16 > 0:44:20He said to me the other day, he said,
0:44:20 > 0:44:23"The next time you give one of these 18-minute answers,
0:44:23 > 0:44:25"remember I'm standing out here in the cold next to you!"
0:44:25 > 0:44:28HE LAUGHS
0:44:34 > 0:44:35BIRDSONG
0:44:38 > 0:44:41Good morning.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51Oh, boy! This brings back memories.
0:44:52 > 0:44:58- So, is this your old office? - Er... right in here.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00This was it here.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02'This is the office where my staff and I
0:45:02 > 0:45:06'discussed how to overcome the many problems in the negotiations.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10'It's also where I updated President Clinton on progress.'
0:45:11 > 0:45:13My desk was over in that corner.
0:45:13 > 0:45:18All great negotiators are able to always put themselves in your shoes
0:45:18 > 0:45:21at a second's notice.
0:45:21 > 0:45:27Because they can't seem to be getting you to do what they want you to do,
0:45:27 > 0:45:31they had to get you to believe that it's in your interests
0:45:31 > 0:45:33and that of the people you represent and care about
0:45:33 > 0:45:36and the future you dream of for your children to do these things.
0:45:36 > 0:45:40Mitchell is a genius at that.
0:45:40 > 0:45:44There were many times I thought that we couldn't possibly succeed.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46It was so difficult.
0:45:46 > 0:45:52It's hard even for me to visualise in retrospect
0:45:52 > 0:45:56listening to the same arguments for two years.
0:45:56 > 0:46:01Two years is a very long time to hear the same people
0:46:01 > 0:46:06say the same thing over and over and over again.
0:46:08 > 0:46:12Just down the corridor is the room in which the agreement was announced.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16Some old news reports help bring back the memories.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20Our political editor Stephen Grimason. Stephen, anything new in the last 20 minutes?
0:46:20 > 0:46:23- This is it. This is the agreement. - You have it in your hand?
0:46:23 > 0:46:26I have it in my hand. 67 pages.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29- It's grown by two. - Yeah, it's grown by two.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33It's probably to do with the way they have re-ordered the sections,
0:46:33 > 0:46:37but this is what they'll be signing up to in the plenary later this afternoon.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40I say to you from the bottom of my heart,
0:46:40 > 0:46:45I have that bitter-sweet feeling, that comes in life,
0:46:45 > 0:46:48I'm dying to leave...
0:46:48 > 0:46:50LAUGHTER
0:46:50 > 0:46:53..but I hate to go.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57This has been a truly remarkable experience for me
0:46:57 > 0:47:03and while I've engaged in many important public policy matters,
0:47:03 > 0:47:10I can say to you that never have I felt the sense of gratification
0:47:10 > 0:47:16and responsibility and gratitude that I feel today.
0:47:16 > 0:47:23I think that on this important day, we should all offer our very deep thanks to our three chairman
0:47:23 > 0:47:27who have played such a pivotal role in these talks.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Senator Mitchell,
0:47:30 > 0:47:34to Prime Minister Holkeri and to General de Chastelain,
0:47:34 > 0:47:39as indeed do all the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland as a whole.
0:47:39 > 0:47:45I must join with those, George, who have thanked you and John and Harry
0:47:45 > 0:47:50for your tremendous patience over the time, particularly in the last few days.
0:47:50 > 0:47:54And I hope and pray that the action we've taken today
0:47:54 > 0:47:57gives everyone here, especially the children,
0:47:57 > 0:48:01the opportunity to enjoy the kind of life
0:48:01 > 0:48:04that I want for my new young son.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06APPLAUSE
0:48:09 > 0:48:14It was one of the most meaningful days of my life,
0:48:14 > 0:48:19and I could not have foreseen that...
0:48:19 > 0:48:2214 years later,
0:48:22 > 0:48:28I'd be back here in the same room, in the same place,
0:48:28 > 0:48:35with my son reminiscing about and talking about those days.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40Andrew, when you watch that video footage there,
0:48:40 > 0:48:45listening to everybody heaping praise on your father... what's that like?
0:48:45 > 0:48:48Erm... it's a very good feeling.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51Erm... yeah.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54- Are you proud of him? - Yeah, I am.
0:48:54 > 0:48:58- You did a good job. - LAUGHS
0:48:58 > 0:49:02- I did the best job with you.- Yeah.
0:49:02 > 0:49:04HE LAUGHS
0:49:06 > 0:49:09It's still the symbol of what is best in us.
0:49:09 > 0:49:15And I'm very proud, since my mother's people are all from Northern Ireland, that I was a part of it.
0:49:15 > 0:49:22I'm very proud that I... persuaded George Mitchell to take that part-time job.
0:49:22 > 0:49:26And I'm very proud that he decided to honour his young son
0:49:26 > 0:49:29by giving the sons and daughters of Ireland a brighter future.
0:49:33 > 0:49:38I'm very... profoundly grateful for having had the opportunity
0:49:38 > 0:49:40to serve in Northern Ireland.
0:49:42 > 0:49:47And I'm also grateful that I now have this opportunity to come back and remember it
0:49:47 > 0:49:50and in a sense relive it in the presence of my son,
0:49:50 > 0:49:55who now understands what I was doing and why I wasn't home.
0:49:55 > 0:49:59And... I think it's important for everyone
0:49:59 > 0:50:04to have some important cause in their life,
0:50:04 > 0:50:07larger than their self-interest.
0:50:07 > 0:50:12Because it adds depth and fulfilment to any human life.
0:50:12 > 0:50:17And so, for me, the opportunity to serve in Northern Ireland played that role.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26But back in 1998,
0:50:26 > 0:50:30just when I thought that my time in Northern Ireland was over,
0:50:30 > 0:50:34I abruptly learned it wasn't.
0:50:34 > 0:50:39The Omagh bomb came just four months after the signing of the agreement.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43When I heard the news, I felt that the whole peace process
0:50:43 > 0:50:48and everything that we had achieved was at serious risk.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53With President Clinton, I went to Omagh.
0:50:53 > 0:51:01And today, just when I think this trip with my son is complete, it turns out it isn't.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05Just like 14 years ago, my journey in Northern Ireland takes me to Omagh
0:51:05 > 0:51:08to a surprise meeting.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13That's right, you won't tell me so I'm not going to ask.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16Do you have any idea?
0:51:17 > 0:51:20Oh, I have several different ideas,
0:51:20 > 0:51:27but I thought it would be best to wait and...genuinely be surprised.
0:51:27 > 0:51:32I've spoken about Northern Ireland all around the world.
0:51:32 > 0:51:39Each time I talk about the impact on me of the Omagh bomb and the bravery of the survivors,
0:51:39 > 0:51:44I always mention Claire Gallagher, the 15 year-old
0:51:44 > 0:51:46who lost her sight in the attack.
0:51:46 > 0:51:51For me, she is an simply an inspiration.
0:51:51 > 0:51:57In fact, when President Obama asked me to serve as his Peace Envoy to the Middle East,
0:51:57 > 0:52:01I thought about Claire among others.
0:52:01 > 0:52:0714 years after the Omagh bomb, she's now married with children of her own.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10It was very humbling in a way.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14I suppose I would never think of people like the Senator
0:52:14 > 0:52:17thinking of me in their day to day life.
0:52:19 > 0:52:25I was just a teenage girl from Omagh caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time
0:52:25 > 0:52:28and have just got on with things and live very much a normal life now
0:52:28 > 0:52:33and sort of stay away from a lot of the media attention and things like that.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37So I suppose I just never considered that someone like the Senator would remember me
0:52:37 > 0:52:40and would continue to remember me.
0:52:44 > 0:52:48- Hello, Claire.- Hello, Senator. You're very welcome.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50- How have you been? - Fine thanks. Good.
0:52:50 > 0:52:55- It's very nice, very wonderful to see you again.- You, too.
0:52:55 > 0:53:00- This is my son, Andrew. - Pleased to meet you.- He's 14.
0:53:00 > 0:53:05- I told him he's just a little younger than you were at the time we met.- Yeah.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09I was...genuinely inspired
0:53:09 > 0:53:15by what I saw as Claire's courage
0:53:15 > 0:53:20and determination...and spirit.
0:53:20 > 0:53:28And so it enabled me to come back when the process collapsed yet again the following year.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32And I have always kept Claire in my mind.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36And I never did tell you this, but...
0:53:36 > 0:53:40a few years later I had a daughter and we named her Claire.
0:53:40 > 0:53:46So my son Andrew here is 14 and my daughter Claire is now 11.
0:53:46 > 0:53:52So...I think of you a lot because I use your name every day a lot.
0:53:52 > 0:53:58Sometimes a little yelling trying to get a little discipline,
0:53:58 > 0:54:03but you've always been on my mind.
0:54:03 > 0:54:09It's also good to see the people that were affected by what happened.
0:54:09 > 0:54:13And that it's not all bad, you know, some of it's good.
0:54:13 > 0:54:19And, of course, it's always nice to see good-looking guys like this.
0:54:19 > 0:54:26'You can tell at times with people there's still a bit of anxiety
0:54:26 > 0:54:27'about what happens in the North.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31'And we do have security alerts at times and things like that,
0:54:31 > 0:54:37'but, thankfully, they don't happen that often and it generally is a nice place.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40'And it is improving.'
0:54:40 > 0:54:45You still have the minority that will probably always be there,
0:54:45 > 0:54:50but the majority of people are getting on well and getting on with their lives.
0:54:50 > 0:54:56And I suppose a lot of the Troubles have been left in the past.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00This was a surprise.
0:55:00 > 0:55:04When I knew we were coming to Omagh just a few minutes ago,
0:55:04 > 0:55:09I said to my son, "I only know two people in Omagh,
0:55:09 > 0:55:12"so it has to be one of the two."
0:55:12 > 0:55:15And I told him I thought it was very likely it was Claire,
0:55:15 > 0:55:19because you have meant so much to me.
0:55:19 > 0:55:25And I think to all the people of Northern Ireland and in other places
0:55:25 > 0:55:31as an inspiration of courage and determination, integrity,
0:55:31 > 0:55:36and really the kind of human spirit that everybody aspires to,
0:55:36 > 0:55:39but not many of us actually achieve.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43So it's a great, great pleasure for me to be here with you.
0:55:43 > 0:55:47Well, it's lovely for me to be here as well. Thank you.
0:55:56 > 0:56:04Meeting with Claire again and her family has capped off the trip of a lifetime for me and my family.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08After talking with her and the other families,
0:56:08 > 0:56:13one thing is clear above all others,
0:56:13 > 0:56:19parents across the world want what's best for their children.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23Before we left New York, Andrew was curious to see
0:56:23 > 0:56:28how the lives of the children born of the same day as him
0:56:28 > 0:56:30were different from his own life.
0:56:30 > 0:56:36I think in many ways, many, many ways they are very, very similar.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39You know, they all go to school,
0:56:39 > 0:56:44they all do things for fun, whether that's archery or whatever.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47You know, they both have two parents.
0:56:47 > 0:56:51In some cases they live in different places, I don't live on a farm.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53But...
0:56:53 > 0:56:56I think the differences are
0:56:56 > 0:57:02that they have to live with the separation of Protestants and Catholics,
0:57:02 > 0:57:05and that's something I just don't have to live with.
0:57:05 > 0:57:10And that's probably the biggest difference that...is meaningful.
0:57:12 > 0:57:17Andrew's right, Northern Ireland's shared future is still some way off.
0:57:17 > 0:57:23People do live apart, their children are schooled apart.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25But there is peace.
0:57:25 > 0:57:26There is hope.
0:57:26 > 0:57:31And there is a confidence that wasn't here when I first arrived in Belfast.
0:57:31 > 0:57:35Peace and reconciliation are important...
0:57:35 > 0:57:39but they rarely occur simultaneously.
0:57:39 > 0:57:44People shouldn't be disappointed or think of it as a failure
0:57:44 > 0:57:49that there isn't full and genuine reconciliation yet.
0:57:49 > 0:57:51It will come.
0:57:51 > 0:57:56The important point is that peace is here
0:57:56 > 0:58:01and that there can be a broadly shared prosperity and a broadly shared sense of community
0:58:01 > 0:58:04by all the people of Northern Ireland.
0:58:04 > 0:58:10The trip has been one of the most memorable of my life,
0:58:10 > 0:58:11moving and informative.
0:58:11 > 0:58:17I've seen former rival paramilitaries working side by side,
0:58:17 > 0:58:20but I've seen the peace walls stand as tall as ever.
0:58:20 > 0:58:23I've seen the Northern Ireland Assembly in action
0:58:23 > 0:58:27and signs of the investment that I'd hoped for
0:58:27 > 0:58:31but never imagined would occur in these economies.
0:58:31 > 0:58:36But I've also seen how the peace process hasn't delivered for everyone.
0:58:36 > 0:58:42The only thing I haven't seen during our trip is...rain!
0:58:49 > 0:58:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd