The Belfast Agreement would not have happened without the personal effort and leadership of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and former British prime minister Tony Blair, it was claimed tonight.
Praising the men at an event in Dublin, former US Senator George Mitchell said the people of Ireland owed them a great debt of gratitude.
The three men met prior to a gala charity dinner in the Irish capital to mark the 10th anniversary of the historic peace accord.
Mr Ahern, who steps down from office next month, praised the former British prime minister for his commitment to peace in Northern Ireland.
Mr Blair said the relationship between Ireland and Britain had been transformed in the last 10 years.
"Without the personal effort and leadership provided by Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, there would not have been a Good Friday Agreement, and certainly there would not have been an agreement in the form that was eventually reached," Senator Mitchell said.
"We all owe them a great debt of gratitude for their leadership. And most importantly, the people of Northern Ireland and most importantly those of future generations — whose lives will be more full, more meaningful, more prosperous, and certainly more peaceful — owe a debt of gratitude to Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern."
The dinner, organised by the Turn the Tide of Suicide group, was also attended by rock stars Bono and Bob Geldof, former SDLP leader John Hume and British Ambassador David Reddaway.
Mr Ahern praised Mr Blair for his dedication to bringing peace to Northern Ireland.
"It's very fitting that we honour Tony Blair at dinner tonight for his personal effort and commitment that he has given to the course of peace on the island," he said.
"I think we can now say with confidence that there has never been a time of better relations on the island of Ireland between nationalist and unionist, between north and south and Britain and Ireland.
"We owe him (Tony Blair) a huge debt of gratitude," he said.
Mr Blair, who was to be honoured at the private dinner, said relations between Britain and Ireland had never been better.
"One of the things that has been most remarkable about the last ten years has been the transformation that has happened not only in Northern Ireland but in the relationship between Ireland and Britain," he said.
"British Irish relations were for so many years marked by division and conflict and now the two countries work closely together in Europe.
"There's so much shared alike between people here and people in Britain, it is a transformation that says a lot about the contribution the Taoiseach has made, but also the Irish people."
The three men arrived at Dublin Castle in the heart of the Irish capital separately around 6pm.
They posed for photographs and then retired for a brief meeting before addressing the media.
Speaking after the press conference rock star Bono described Mr Blair as a great listener.
"Politicians are great talkers, but it's rare for a politician to be a great listener, and I think Tony Blair is a great listener and I think Bertie Ahern is a great listener and I think that's the kind of unusual thing that wins in a difficult negotiation."
The dinner was part of a series of events to mark the historic peace accord.
Yesterday Mr Ahern and Senator Mitchell gathered with political leaders in the north for a 10th anniversary "reunion".
Funds from the charity dinner will go to the Turn the Tide of Suicide group for a number of north/south initiatives, including research support for an All-Ireland Suicide Survey as well as contributions to support services across Dublin and other centres.
Mr Ahern was to present Mr Blair with a Guy Hanscomb painting titled Beach Scene, Brittas Bay, at the function.
Speaking prior to the event, the charity's chairman Noel Smyth said: "We are privileged to be joined by the men who helped to bring about peace in Northern Ireland."
PA