Tánaiste Micheál Martin has hailed the contribution of Senator George Mitchell to peace on this island as he re-dedicated the 'Peace for All' statue on the bridge which bears the United States Senator's name in Aghalane, County Cavan.
The Senator George Mitchell Peace Bridge links Counties Cavan and Fermanagh and was opened in 1999.
It replaced the old Aghalane Bridge, which was destroyed by a bomb in November 1972. The Tánaiste joined Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council in rededicating the 'Peace for All' statue by sculptor Derek A Fitzsimons, which has been recently reinstated following restoration, and also planted a peace tree at the site.
Speaking at Aghalane last week, the Tánaiste said he was delighted to be invited here to rededicate this statue, to honour Senator George Mitchell, and to commemorate the twenty five years since the Good Friday Agreement. He said that in this anniversary year, so much has already been said about Senator Mitchell's crucial role in achieving peace.
But few of those tributes could possibly be as eloquent or as profound as the statue for peace and bridge. He added they are physical manifestations of what his work in Ireland was all about.
