The Clinton Centre is situated on the site of the

Remembrance Day bombing The Remembrance Day bombing (also known as the Enniskillen bombing or Poppy Day massacre) took place on 8 November 1987 in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. A Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb exploded near County Ferm ...

on 8 November 1987 in

Enniskillen Enniskillen ( , from ga, Inis Ceithleann , 'Cethlenn, Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of ...

County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of 1,691 km2 (653 sq mi) and has a population of 61,805 a ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

when the

Provisional Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reun ...

murdered 12 and injured 63 with a time bomb. Former

President of the United States of America The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

gave his name to the facility in dedication to peace and prosperity in Ireland and around the world and has visited the site three times along with his wife,

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

History of the building

The building stands on the site of the Reading Rooms owned by St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church which was destroyed in the bombing in 1987. The Centre was conceived as part of the Higher Bridges Project, bridging this site with the former Enniskillen Orange Hall. ClintonCentreEnniskillen

Plans were laid in 2000 to construct a new structure to balance the restored Orange Hall, a listed building. This was coordinated by Fermanagh-University Partnership Board. In 2001 President Bill Clinton visited the site, returning again in 2002 to officially open the building and lend his name to it. His most recent visit was in 2004 when he was accompanied by his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, to witness the work being undertaken within the centre in peace-building projects. The Centre housed a fully equipped conference floor, a restaurant, internet cafe and Art Gallery.

Hostelling International Northern Ireland Hostelling International Northern Ireland (HINI) is a not-for-profit organisation providing youth hostel accommodation in Northern Ireland. It is a member of the Hostelling International federation. Foundation The Youth Hostels Association o ...

managed ''The Bridges Youth Hostel'' within the Clinton Centre until December 2012. In October 2017,

Dublin City University Dublin City University (abbreviated as DCU) ( ga, Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a university based on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. Created as the ''National Institute for Higher Education, Dublin'' in 1975, it enrolled its f ...

Ulster University sco, Ulstèr Universitie , image = Ulster University coat of arms.png , caption = , motto_lang = , mottoeng = , latin_name = Universitas Ulidiae , established = 1865 – Magee College 1953 - Magee Un ...

and

University of Massachusetts The University of Massachusetts is the five-campus public university system and the only public research system in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The university system includes five campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and a medica ...

(UMass) came together in a joint initiative to renew and enhance the peace-building vision of the Clinton Centre in Enniskillen. President Clinton announced the initiative during a visit to

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

. The new agreement will see the three universities unite to create a new, sustainable operational model for the Centre, in keeping with President Clinton’s commitment to peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland. The plan will deliver a programme of both academic and cultural activities and events in the Centre over the next three years. In 2019 the non-profit organization UISCE (Understanding Ireland Socially, Culturally and Economically) launched a volunteer program to reestablish the purpose of the building, with a view to primarily becoming an educational hub for students and emerging leaders focussing on peace building.

References

External links

* https://www.uisce.org/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Clinton Centre Bill Clinton Buildings and structures in County Fermanagh Enniskillen 2002 establishments in Northern Ireland