Lord Chancellor, Lord Mayor, distinguished guests, members and friends of the University of Liverpool, it is a great honour for me to be recognized for my work in Northern Ireland. It's a special pleasure to have that recognition come from an institution as renowned as this one. The University of Liverpool has rightly achieved a reputation for excellence within the United Kingdom and beyond. I have been asked to speak about my experience in Northern Ireland. Before doing so, I would like to say a few words about my experience in the United States. First, I should warn you that I am a product of the United States Senate, an institution that is known for long speeches. There is a rule in the Senate which permits unlimited debate: any senator may speak at any time on any subject for any length. Many frequently do, and I myself have done so, usually possessing no knowledge and conveying none, but taking up a lot of time, which, if you have paid attention in recent weeks, you will know is one of the major functions of the Senate. But I am also a product of the State of Maine, which those of you familiar with the United States will know has a tradition of few words. Fortunately for you I am no longer in the Senate but I am still from Maine, and so I shall try to get across my thoughts and my gratitude briefly.

I had the pleasure of spending nearly four years in the United Kingdom and in the Republic of Ireland. During that time I have come to know both countries and the people there, countries with which my own, the United States, is bound by ties of blood and history and values. Of course, Americans have not always used such flattering words to describe their Mother Country. Two hundred and twenty-two years ago a small group of them gathered in Philadelphia in a constitutional convention. Their objective was independence and self-government and they achieved it. They were eager to shake off British rule but they had no hesitation in accepting British law, tradition and customs.