The Sinn Fein leader, Mr Gerry Adams, got a tumultuous reception from hundreds of Irish-American supporters crowded into the Starlight Room of the WaldorfAstoria Hotel here last night. More than 600 guests paid $500 a head to hear Mr Adams, Mr Martin McGuinness and Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain, at the high point of their US visit, speak of their hopes for the peace talks opening in Belfast next week.
The Friends of Sinn Fein, which organised the fund-raising event, said that with more time it could have sold twice that number of tickets, so great had been the demand.
The Morning Star group played Irish airs as the guests ate dinner. The attendance included Congressmen Tom Manton and Peter King and the financial controller of New York City Council, Mr Alan Hevesi.
Tonight an even bigger crowd is expected at a community rally for the Sinn Fein group at the Roseland Ballroom on the west side of Manhattan.
Earlier yesterday, the Sinn Fein group wound up its three-day visit to Washington with meetings on Capitol Hill with members of Congress.
The Speaker of the House, Mr Newt Gingrich, met Mr Adams briefly during a meeting of the International Relations Committee, but photographs of the encounter were not allowed by Mr Gingrich's staff. The meeting was presided over by the committee chairman, Mr Ben Gilman.
At an 8:15 a.m. meeting in Mr King's office, the Sinn Fein group - which also includes Councillor Sean McKnight of Belfast - met about 15 members of the House of Representatives who take a keen interest in Irish affairs.
Mr Adams asked the US politicians to "redouble" their efforts to help the peace process. "The ceasefire does not mean peace but an opportunity for peace," he said. "At a human level we are a bit apprehensive about what faces us but we are confident when we know we will not be on our own" in facing the British government and the unionists but would have the support of friends in the US, Mr Adams said.
Mr McGuinness said that "we are not here for dollars although any dollars that come will be put to good use" by Sinn Fein, which will be incurring large expenses during the negotiations.
He said Sinn Fein hoped the unionists would take part fully in the talks and it would be "a tragedy" if they were absent because of "internal squabbles".
Mr Adams thanked the members of Congress for their efforts to enshrine in US law the MacBride Principles on non-discrimination against Catholics in the workplace in Northern Ireland. A Bill before Congress would oblige companies receiving aid from the International Fund for Ireland to observe the principles.
On the issue of the seven men from Northern Ireland who are fighting deportation from the US for alleged infringement of the anti-terrorism laws, Mr Adams said that Sinn Fein had raised this at all levels up to the White House but it may yet require a private member's Bill in Congress.