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17th Oct 2017

WATCH: Bill Clinton has high praise for Ireland and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in DCU speech

Clinton was awarded an honorary doctorate at DCU on Tuesday.

Conor Heneghan

Bill Clinton documentary

Clinton also spoke about the importance of unity and diversity and about the Good Friday Agreement.

Former US President Bill Clinton labelled Taoiseach Leo Varadkar as a very impressive man and praised Ireland for helping people in need throughout the world in a speech at Dublin City University (DCU) on Tuesday.

Clinton, who was spotted walking in Dublin (despite warnings to stay indoors) on Monday, was awarded an honorary doctorate at DCU on Tuesday for his contribution to peace and reconciliation in Ireland.

The former President emphasised themes of unity and diversity and was critical of people in the United States who think “it’s okay to disenfranchise people”.

Summing up the Good Friday Agreement, in which he played a central role, Clinton said that it’s “not that we should agree with each other all the time, not that anybody should be right all the time, but that we should encounter each other as people and find ways to be together”.

You can see the speech in full below.

Clip via Twitter/Orlaith Carmody via Storyful

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