The Taoiseach is starting three days of virtual events with the US today ahead of St. Patrick’s Day.
Micheál Martin isn’t able to meet people in person this year due to the pandemic but will continue the tradition of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with the United States during these online events from today until Wednesday.
He’ll hold a policy address to the Washington D.C.-based Brookings Institution today, to set out his thinking on managing relations on and off the island post-Brexit.
This evening, he’ll speak at the US launch of ‘From Whence I Came: The Kennedy Legacy, Ireland & America’, edited by Brian Murphy & Donnacha Ó Beacháin.
The first day will close with an address by the Taoiseach to Boston’s ‘Irish American Partnership’ St Patrick’s Day Celebration.
The high-level political engagements in Washington D.C. will take place on St Patrick’s Day itself on Wednesday, when he’ll talk to President Joe Biden. It’s expected they’ll discuss covid 19 vaccinations.
The Taoiseach will present President Biden with the traditional Shamrock Bowl, extending St Patrick’s Day greetings from Irish people to Americans.
It’s as Glór Cheatharlach continues its online programme across Carlow (details here) while the St Patrick’s Festival Kilkenny is turning the county green too (more here).