photo: Number 10/© Crown copyright
In keeping with the general levity that has marked the final stages of The Peace ProcessTM, here's part of the opener of Patrick Kielty's interview with Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern at Number 10 yesterday --
I am Patrick Kielty and today you find me in the Terracotta Room apparently of 10 Downing Street overlooking Horseguards Parade where I have the privilege and pleasure of sitting down to talk to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Prime Minister Tony Blair about their historic peace deal in Ireland.
First things first, Prime Minister thanks for having me. I think we can say it is changed times. The last time anybody called Paddy from Northern Ireland was this close to a sitting Prime Minister in Downing Street I think John Major had the glaziers in for about a week afterwards, so thanks for that.
He's referring to this incident [see 7 Feb].
One Northern Ireland Secretary since then was named Patrick Murphy.
UPDATE: The Downing Street photo slide show indicates that Blair laughed at Paddy's joke, as indicated above. One wonders if an Iraqi insurgent "barrack buster" headed towards the Green Zone is also considered funny.
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