Taoiseach departs on seven-day US St Patrick's Day trip

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is undertaking an official visit to the United States from March 11 to 17, including a visit to the White House on St Patrick's Day.

The Government today confirmed the Taoiseach will travel to Boston for a series of political, economic and Irish community engagements before travelling to Washington DC for the traditional St. Patrick’s Day celebrations as well as a full programme of economic and political engagements.

The traditional high-level political engagements in Washington D.C. will take place on Friday, 15 March. The Taoiseach will meet bilaterally with President Joe Biden, Vice-President Kamala Harris and the Speaker of the US House of Representatives.

Discussions are expected to cover a broad agenda of issues including the deep ties between the United States and Ireland as we mark 100 years of diplomatic relations; and shared global challenges, including the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East. The meeting will also be an opportunity for the Taoiseach to thank President Biden for the US’s ongoing commitment to the Good Friday Agreement and to welcome the restoration of the Northern Ireland institutions.

The White House St. Patrick’s Day reception, including the traditional shamrock ceremony will take place on St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday, March 17. The Taoiseach will present President Biden with the traditional shamrock bowl, extending St. Patrick’s Day greetings from the people of Ireland to the people of the United States.

The Taoiseach’s programme commences today, 11 March in Boston. He will meet with the Governor of the State of Massachusetts, Maura Healy, to discuss the deep cultural, economic and people-to-people ties between her state and Ireland. This evening, the Taoiseach will deliver a keynote address at the President John F. Kennedy library, reflecting on the life and legacy of President Kennedy and how his legacy continues to have lessons for the global challenges of today.

On Tuesday, the Taoiseach will start the day with a number of economic meetings, and a visit to Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox, to announce a major investment by Irish company, Output Sports, who specialise in sports data.

Following a meeting with the vibrant Irish community in Boston, the Taoiseach will speak at an Ireland Funds Young Leaders event where he will reflect on the Government’s theme for St. Patrick’s Day 2024 “Ireland’s future in the world”, celebrating the achievements of young diaspora leaders across the fields of innovation, creativity, community development, business, and academia around the world, including in the US.

Before departing for Washington DC on Wednesday, the Taoiseach will attend a breakfast hosted by the Irish American Partnership where he will pay tribute to the partnership for their tireless work to advance peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland.

In Washington DC, the Taoiseach’s first engagement will be speaking at the Ireland Funds National Gala Dinner.  This will be an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between Ireland and the US and to thank the US for its immense contribution to fostering peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, on which a new chapter opened with the recent restoration of the Assembly and Executive in Belfast.

On Thursday,, the Taoiseach will showcase the strength of the US-Ireland economic relationship. He will attend and speak at a series of events hosted by Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and the US Chamber of Commerce, meeting senior US and Irish executives to explore how the Ireland-US two-way trade and investment partnership can help create more jobs and growth in both countries.

He will also present Science Foundation Ireland’s St Patrick’s medals to Dr. Eamonn Keogh, for his ground-breaking academic achievements in the field of data-mining, and to Mr. John Hartnett, CEO of SVG Ventures Thrive and founder of the Irish Technology Leadership Group, for his immense contribution to cultivating tech connections between Ireland and the US.

Speaking in advance of his visit, the Taoiseach said:

“St. Patrick’s Day is a moment to reconnect with the 70 million people worldwide of Irish background, and not least the over 30 million in the US of Irish heritage. As we mark the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ireland and the US, I am looking forward to visiting Boston and Washington to celebrate this strong and enduring relationship. My visit will aim to further strengthen the ties that link our two nations with a focus on economic, political and people-to-people connections.

“The Government’s theme for St. Patrick’s Day 2024 is ‘Ireland’s future in the world’ so this year I wish to celebrate the achievements of our young diaspora leaders in the US across the fields of innovation, creativity, community development, business, and academia. Many of the events in both Boston and Washington DC will enable me to recognise their invaluable contribution to sustaining and deepening the close bonds between Ireland and the US, now and into the future.

“My visit is also an opportunity to highlight our strong and growing trade and investment relationship, a relationship that is increasingly balanced and two-way. I look forward to engaging with Irish and US companies working to grow this mutually beneficial relationship.

“I look forward to meeting President Biden again and to reflect on his very successful visit to Ireland last year which highlighted his special connection with our country. I will thank him for his strong and ongoing support for Ireland and in particular for the long-standing role played by the US in the Irish peace process, reflecting on the recent positive developments in Northern Ireland.

“My visit to the US comes at a crucial time in global affairs and US leadership is needed more now than ever.  I look forward to discussing with President Biden, and leaders on Capitol Hill, our shared commitment to continued support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. I will also raise the concerns of the Irish people on the shocking crisis in Gaza, reiterating our call for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire to facilitate a massive increase in the humanitarian aid that can reach desperate people and the immediate and unconditional release of the remaining hostages. I will be emphasising that a peaceful and secure future for all people in the region can come only from a two state solution, with Israel living side-by-side in peace with a fully-fledged State of Palestine.”