PORTLAND (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell has been honored for helping bring peace to Northern Ireland.
Mitchell received the fifth annual Claddagh Award from the Maine Irish Heritage Center on Wednesday.
The award is given to a Maine native of Irish descent who has devoted his or her life to serving the community. The 79-year-old Mitchell grew up in Waterville, the son of an Irish father and a Lebanese mother.
President Bill Clinton appointed Mitchell, who had recently retired from the Senate, to be his special envoy to the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland in 1995. Mitchell is credited with guiding negotiators to achieve the historic Good Friday Accord on April 10, 1998.
He says he's proud of the fact that many lives have changed as a result of his efforts.
Report a correction
In order to make comments, you must verify your account.
In order to comment on SunJournal.com, you must use your real name and include the town in which you live in your profile. A member of our staff will call you to verify this information. To join in, fill out your user profile completely and check the box "please verify my status." We'll get back to you within one business day to verify your account.
Login or create an account here.
Our policy prohibits comments that are:
- Defamatory, abusive, obscene, racist, or otherwise hateful
- Excessively foul and/or vulgar
- Inappropriately sexual
- Baseless personal attacks or otherwise threatening
- Contain illegal material, or material that infringes on the rights of others
- Commercial postings attempting to sell a product/item
If you violate this policy, your comment will be removed and your account may be banned.