Blair Honoured For Peace Commitment
Tony Blair has been honoured in Dublin for his role in helping to secure lasting peace in Northern Ireland.
On the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, the Irish prime minister, Bertie Ahern, hosted a special dinner in Dublin Castle to pay tribute to the man he said "had given tirelessly of himself to bring to an end decades of suffering and bloodshed."
Both men were central to the lengthy negotiations which culminated in that historic deal in April 1998.
It formed the basis for establishing a power-sharing government in Belfast but Mr Ahern said Mr Blair never wavered in his commitment to bringing the tough talks to a successful conclusion.
"He gave so, so much of his time," Mr Ahern said, "and he had to keep giving of his time because every time we seemed to be taking a step forward, there was a step backwards."
But the benefits of Tony Blair's dedication are now there for all to see, he said.
Source: http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,91211-1312673,00.html