The President, Mrs McAleese, has paid tribute to President Clinton, saying she was sorry she had missed saying thank you to him in person.
She said yesterday she had expressed her country's gratitude to him during their last talks in the US because he had been pivotal in the peace process.
When asked if she was disappointed not to have walked the streets of Omagh with him, she replied: "It would have been nice to have done so but unfortunately I haven't yet managed the gift of bilocation."
The President said she had gone to the US this year to thank Mr Clinton and he knew she would not be in Ireland at this time. No one has done more for the peace process than President Clinton, she said.
"His commitment to Ireland was, and is, absolutely extraordinary. His compendious knowledge of Ireland was one of our great strengths." The President also said she was not concerned she did not have a chance to review the anti-terrorist legislation which was rushed through the Oireachtas. She said while she was away there was a body charged with signing such Bills.
The President was speaking after receiving an honorary Doctorate of Laws from Victoria University. The university's vice-chancellor, Prof Jarlath Ronayne, said the award was in honour of the President's contribution to academic life and the peace process.
"The President's remarkable academic and political achievements have so far included a breathtaking range of activities encompassing legal education and practice, public affairs, concern for the poor, disadvantaged and discriminated against as well as sectarianism," he said.