Taoiseach Micheál Martin on St. Patrick’s Day visit to the United States

Taoiseach Micheál Martin will undertake an official visit to the United States from 14 to 17 March to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

The Taoiseach will travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, first for a series of political, economic, and Irish community engagements, before travelling to Washington DC for the traditional St Patrick's Day celebrations and a full programme of economic engagements.

The traditional high-level political engagements in Washington DC will take place on Tuesday, 17 March, when the Taoiseach will meet bilaterally with President Donald J. Trump.

Discussions are expected to cover a broad range of issues, including the deep ties between the United States and Ireland. As USA 250 celebrations continue, it will also be an opportunity to note the extraordinary contribution of the Irish community to the United States throughout its history.

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

Also on the 17th, the Taoiseach and his wife, Mary, will be hosted for breakfast by Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, and for lunch on Capitol Hill by Speaker Mike Johnson for the traditional Friends of Ireland gathering. He will also meet with key elected representatives.

The Taoiseach's programme commences on Saturday, 14 March, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he will attend events at the Irish memorial, the Museum of the American Revolution, and open the new premises of the Irish Diaspora Centre.

He will deliver a keynote address at Villanova University as part of the Centre for Irish Studies America250 lecture series. On the evening of 14 March, he will attend the Friendly Sons and Daughters of St. Patrick 255th annual St. Patrick's Gala.

On Sunday, 15 March, the Taoiseach will attend the Philadelphia St. Patrick's Day Parade, which marks 250 years of Irish Contributions to America. Later, along with Congressman Brendan Boyle, he will lay a wreath at the statue of Commodore John Barry.

On 16 March, the Taoiseach will have a number of business-focused engagements, noting the strong two-way trade between Ireland and the United States. He will also address the annual dinner of The Ireland Funds.

Speaking in advance of his visit, the Taoiseach said:

'St Patrick's Day is an opportunity to recognise Ireland's global community and the enduring connections that link people of Irish heritage around the world.

'The relationship between Ireland and the United States is one of our most enduring, rooted in history and exemplified by the roles so many Irish immigrants played in the pursuit of American independence some 250 years ago.

'Throughout my engagements in Philadelphia and Washington DC, I look forward to marking USA 250 and paying tribute to the role of the Irish diaspora in the foundation and development of the United States.

'The US and Ireland are close partners, with generations of economic, diplomatic, political, cultural and people-to-people links.

'Many of the events in Philadelphia and Washington DC will reflect on the Irish contribution across many fields including culture, innovation, creativity, economic development, community, business, and academia.

'My visit is also an opportunity to highlight the substantial trade and investment relationship between our two nations. Ireland is the fifth largest foreign investor in America, and Irish companies employ 200,000 people across every sector and every state of the United States. I will be engaging with US and Irish businesses during my visit to learn about their work and future plans to further strengthen this relationship.

'I look forward to meeting with President Trump to reflect with him on the close bonds between our nations, including our dynamic economic partnership, and to congratulate him on the 250th anniversary of American independence. I expect there will also be an opportunity to discuss global matters, including how Ireland and the EU can work with the United States to reach peaceful resolutions in the Middle East and Ukraine.'