Politics

St Patrick’s Day: Varadkar to visit Boston, Washington DC during week-long US trip

Taoiseach will hold talks with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and visit Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox

Joe Biden receives a bowl of St Patrick's Day shamrock from Leo Varadkar at the White House last year. Photograph: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg

Harry McGee
Mon Mar 11 2024 - 13:40

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is travelling to Boston on Monday for a week-long visit to the United States that will culminate with the annual ‘Shamrock Ceremony’ with President Joe Biden in the White House on St Patrick’s Day.

The traditional high-level political engagements in Washington DC will take place on Friday, March 15th. 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 the countries 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 Mr Biden for the ongoing US commitment to the Belfast Agreement and to welcome the restoration of the Northern Ireland institutions.

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In Boston on Monday, the Taoiseach will meet the governor of the state of Massachusetts, Maura Healy, and will also deliver a keynote address at the President John F. Kennedy library, reflecting on the life and legacy of the late president and how his legacy continues to have lessons for the global challenges of today.

On Tuesday, March 12th, 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, which specialises in sports data.

Speaking in advance of his visit, Mr Varadkar 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,” he said.

“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,” Mr Varadkar said.

Harry McGee

Harry McGee

Harry McGee is a Political Correspondent with The Irish Times

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