Clinton advised to avoid shaking hands with Gerry Adams.

White House officials advised Bill Clinton to avoid shaking Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams’ hand in front of cameras during his 1995 visit to Ireland, but they ultimately shook hands publicly. Clinton’s ancestral links to Co Fermanagh were found to be largely based on fantasy. Genealogy expert Sean Murphy traced Clinton’s lineage, concluding his ancestors likely emigrated from an Ulster county to America. Last year, declassified files revealed US attorney general Janet Reno advised against granting Adams a visa in 1995 due to lack of IRA disarmament progress.

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