         | President Clinton begins his visit to Northern Ireland in Belfast where he will meet with members of the Northern Ireland Assembly at the Stormont Parliament Building.
The Stormont Parliament Building is an imposing neoclassical structure situated on a long, rising slope in East Belfast. Completed in 1932, Stormont also contains the Castle, which now houses elements of the Northern Ireland Office, and the modern Castle Building, which was the site of the multiparty talks chaired by Senator George Mitchell. Upon his arrival at the main steps of Stormont, the President will be greeted by First Minister David Trimble and Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon.
Following his meeting with the Assembly members, the President will address the people and Assembly of Northern Ireland from Waterfront Hall, Northern Ireland's principal conference and concert venue. Situated in central Belfast alongside the River Lagan, the Hall commands striking views of the commercial district, docks and shipyards, and the river area.
Formally opened in May 1997, Waterfront Hall symbolizes a renewed vision of Belfast as a vital, thriving and energetic business and cultural center. It is owned and operated by the City of Belfast, and its main auditorium, equipped with state of the art electronic, lighting, and media facilities, can seat up to 2,200 people.
The President will then attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the Springvale Educational Facility at the University of Ulster. The Springvale project is a joint educational venture between the University of Ulster and the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education (a vocational college) that will cater largely to mature, non-traditional students with little educational background, addressing the problem of increasing educational access for people previously excluded from the university system. The Campus will specialize in the teaching of art and design, information technology, tourism, social and community studies and access courses to prepare people for a return to education. The Campus is due to open in 2002.
President Clinton will then travel to Omagh, the site of a tragic bombing that claimed the lives of 25 people. While in Omagh, the President will meet with victims of the attack and make remarks at a wreath-laying ceremony in honor of those who died in the blast.
The President's final event of the day will occur in Armagh, the third largest city in Northern Ireland. Armagh is known as the "Cathedral City," it is the Irish seat of both the Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland (Anglican) churches. It is located about 40 miles southwest of Belfast. |
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