Irish ministers have been posted around the world to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
Agricultural Minister, Noel Grealish TD, is in New Zealand, Europe Minister, Thomas Byrne TD, is in Poland and the Taoiseach, as is traditional, is in the United States.
This morning, US time, Micheál Martin, spoke in the White House with Vice President JD Vance.
The Taoiseach made repeated references to the strong US-Irish economic ties, perhaps in the hope of some relief on tariffs.
“Every morning more than 200,000 Americans go to work in almost 800 Irish-owned firms”, Micheál Martin said.
“The US-Ireland economic relationship powers the technologies that will define the 21st century and underpin growth in our economies”
It comes as transatlantic relations are under strain over Trump’s war in the Middle East.
Underlining that tension, an EU official said this afternoon: Europe did not start the war and was not even consulted, but we will have to deal with the consequences.
Yet in the White House, Micheál Martin chose to keep it positive:
“It is clear that the threads across the Atlantic that are woven through the rich tapestry of the United States remain strong.”
Some might wonder whether that tapestry wasn’t looking a bit threadbare right now.
JD Vance said that he was wearing shamrock socks today in honour of Ireland, as he did last year.
The Taoiseach is due to meet President Trump in the Oval Office later.
Some of the 40 Irish ministers around the world for St Patrick’s Day:
- Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne TD: In Kyiv, Ukraine yesterday and Poland today.
- Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence, Helen McEntee TD is in the United States, yesterday in Boston.
- Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, will visit Seattle, San Francisco and Sacramento over the course of the week
- Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Jack Chambers TD is visiting Senegal and Nigeria
- Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, is in Australia
- Minister of State at the Department of Transport with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, Sean Canney TD, is visiting Japan and Korea