Leading the"co-del" is Rep. John Tanner (D-TN) who said that this was the first time for most of the group to have been in Ireland. "We're impressed by what we've seen and applaud your efforts to work together," he told a community reception in the West Belfast cultural center, An Chultúrlann.

"What we are about is trying to understand how all of us can live together as free people in a civilized world," Tanner said.

Among those addressing the visitors was West Belfast MP Gerry Adams, just returned from the U.S. and Canada.

A MORE frequent visitor to Ireland IN the delegation was Rep. Carolyn McCarthy from Long Island.

"I have been coming to Ireland since President Bill Clinton's era," she told Echo.

"It is important that the delegation get to see for themselves the progress that the North of Ireland has made since the Good Friday agreement.

"We came over ten years ago and worked with women from both sides of the religious divide and we saw first hand how women had been affected by the conflict here.

"They then came over to Washington and together we were able to help them have their voices heard in politics here. Many voices together build a stronger solid voice," said McCarthy.

Speaking after the delegation had been welcomed to Stormont by first and deputy first ministers Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, Rep. McCarthy said that she and her colleagues had found signs of progress all around.

"It is very reassuring to see outward looking and outward facing people play their part in economic and recreational regeneration," she said.