THE Sinn Fein president addressed a fund-raising lunch in New York

yesterday. Earlier it was revealed loyalist representatives would be at

President Clinton's St Patrick's Day lunch which Mr Gerry Adams will

also attend.

Mr Adams told celebrities, including Bianca Jagger and real estate

developer Donald Trump at the 200-dollar-a-plate event in Manhattan,

that it was time for Mr Major to stop making excuses and start making

peace.

He said he wanted to unite Ireland as a country for loyalists,

republicans, Roman Catholics and Protestants.

He responded positively to the news that Mr Gary McMichael, the leader

of the Ulster Democratic Party, would also attend the St Patrick's Day

party.

''I think that's very good. We want to see an Ireland that is

inclusive and St Patrick's Day is not a nationalist holiday, it is an

inclusive Irish celebration and I welcome everyone into that

celebration.''

Mr McMichael, chairman Joe English, and vice-chairman John White leave

for Washington today.

Mr McMichael, whose father was killed by an IRA bomb attack in

December 1987, said they had agreed to accept the invitation after much

consultation.

The two main Northern Ireland Unionist parties and another loyalist

fringe group, the Progressive Unionist Party, have all refused.

But Mr McMichael said it was necessary for them to go. He said:

''Gerry Adams has been given credibility and legitimacy, and we are

going there to counter that.

''The Americans do not acknowledge the validity of loyalist opinion.

We will not influence that by staying at home.''

He said he was not interested in shaking the hand of the Sinn Fein

president, saying he did not trust him and thought his commitment to the

Northern Ireland peace process was less than clear.

Mr McMichael added: ''We understand the gravity of the decision we

have taken. We have consulted within our party and also with our wider

community, and we are satisfied we are making the right decision.''

The Clinton administration pressed Mr Adams to take a new step towards

peace by pushing the IRA to scrap its weapons.

Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke told the House

International Relations Committee in Washington that Mr Clinton had

taken a risk by inviting Mr Adams to the United States and it was now up

to Sinn Fein to show it was serious about ending violence.

''The ball is in their court now to show that they are serious about

removing the gun from the political arena in Northern Ireland,'' Mr

Holbrooke said.

Ulster warning6