Taoiseach Brian Cowen today met President Barack Obama at the White House for talks during which the two leaders emphasised the strong links between their countries.
Presenting the shamrocks in a Waterford Crystal bowl, Mr Cowen said St Patrick’s Day was a time of joy and pride for all Irish men and women everywhere.
“Today when Irish America is bound together by a green thread woven through the great cities and into the heartland and length and breadth of this great country, it is a day, too, of reflection on our immigrant history, of our sense of place and of our need to connect,” Mr Cowen said.
The Taoiseach said Ireland was proud of the Irish American community. He said America’s leadership would be at the heart of the global resurgence, and Ireland was a steadfast friend of the US.
“Time and again in our history, we have looked to America for leadership on the long and often difficult road to peace,” Mr Cowen said. “At the darkest moments, the United States has been a constant source of hope, a reservoir of support, and a steady and trusted guide. The contribution of the United States has been immeasurable.”
The President said the contribution of the Irish to the American story could not be overstated.
“Irish signatures are on our founding documents; Irish blood has been spilled on our battlefields; Irish sweat went into building our greatest cities,” Mr Obama said. “We are better for their contributions to our democracy, and we are richer for their art and their literature, their poetry and their songs.”
Earlier Mr Cowen held bilateral talks with Mr Obama in the Oval office - only the third such meeting of any foreign leader since the President’s inauguration. The meeting was dominated by the global economic crisis, as well as recent developments in Northern Ireland and relations between the two countries.
Mr Obama quipped that as his ancestor came from the same county as Mr Cowen, the pair might be cousins. He also said he hoped to visit Ireland.
Later in the White House Mr Cowen said they were not related, but joked if there were any of Mr Obama’s ancestors in his electoral area, he would have them on his campaign team.
Mr Cowen and Mr Obama also attended the St Patrick’s Day lunch on Capitol Hill, hosted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.
Mr Obama was joined at today’s meeting with Mr Cowen by vice-president Joe Biden and secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who yesterday met Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin. Mr Obama also attended a meeting at the White House between Northern Ireland’s First and Deputy First Ministers Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness and national security adviser Jim Jones.
Mrs Clinton held a round of talks with political figures from Northern Ireland today, starting with Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams. She also met Secretary of State Shaun Woodward, Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness.
The discussions will focus on “how we’re going to continue to support the devolution of power and authority and the peace and prosperity on the island of Ireland,” Mrs Clinton said at the State Department before her meeting with Mr Adams.
The St Patrick’s Day celebrations will conclude with a reception for 400 people hosted by the President and Mrs Obama at the White House in honour of the Taoiseach and Mrs Cowen.
This is the first reception of this kind for a foreign leader at the White House under the new administration. Water in the fountain on the north lawn of the White House has been dyed green for St Patrick’s Day.
Mr Obama used St Patrick’s Day to announce the appointment of Dan Rooney, owner and chairman of the Super Bowl-winning Pittsburgh Steelers, as the new US ambassador to Ireland.
“Dan Rooney is an unwavering supporter of Irish peace, culture and education,” Mr Obama said in making the announcement.
Mr Rooney (76), is a co-founder of the American Ireland Fund, which has raised more than $300 million for peace and education programs in Ireland, the White House said.
Mr Cowen welcomed Mr Rooney’s appointment, adding the new ambassador was a great personal friend for many years. “Dan has been a great personal friend of mine down the years, too, and I really very much welcome his appointment. And I know how great an honour it is for his family.”