Trump to host Taoiseach for St Patrick’s Day ceremony

US President Donald Trump will host Irish premier Micheal Martin in the White House on Wednesday, in a highly anticipated meeting which is expected to touch on Ireland’s trading relationship with America.

Mr Trump will be presented with a bowl of shamrock as the centrepiece of the Irish Government’s major overseas diplomatic push in the run-up to St Patrick’s Day on Monday, March 17.

Mr Martin said that a “two-way street” of investment is something he intends to highlight in his discussions with the US president in a bid to address concerns he may voice around a trade imbalance between the two countries.

It may be a case of third time lucky for Mr Martin after missing out on opportunities to attend the Oval Office in the past.

During his first term as Taoiseach, he was unable to attend the White House on St Patrick’s Day in 2021 because of Covid-19 travel restrictions.

The following year, he tested positive for the virus in Washington on the eve of the scheduled shamrock ceremony. His meeting with then-US president Joe Biden was conducted via videolink.

Mr Martin will be the first EU leader to meet Mr Trump following the proposals for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine and the lifting of the US suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.

The Taoiseach had said that any peace in the region had to be “fair and sustainable”.

From there the Irish premier will go to the West Wing of the White House where he will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr Trump in the Oval Office.

The Fianna Fail leader will then travel to the US Capitol building for the Friends of Ireland luncheon hosted by House Speaker Mike Johnson before returning to the White House for the traditional shamrock ceremony.

Last month at the White House, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir handed Mr Trump a letter from the King inviting him to an “unprecedented” second state visit.

Asked if he would be inviting Mr Trump to visit Ireland or giving him an additional gift on top of the shamrock bowl, Mr Martin told reporters: “The president is always welcome to visit Ireland and obviously we’ll be engaging on that front.”

The shamrock ceremony comes on the third full day of Mr Martin’s engagements in the US, having started his overseas trip in Austin, Texas.

Mr Martin attended the South by Southwest festival to promote the Irish screen industry and discuss the extent of the “enduring” relationship between Ireland and the US.

After meeting state legislators at the Texas Capitol in Austin on Tuesday, he left for Washington, DC to attend a St Patrick’s Day reception at the Irish Ambassador’s residence that evening.

A host of Irish Government ministers is also travelling to the US this week, including deputy premier Tanaiste Simon Harris, who is visiting Philadelphia and New York at a time described as a key juncture in European-US relations.

Elsewhere, Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly led an NI Chamber business delegation to North Carolina on Monday.

However, Ms Little-Pengelly has travelled to Washington without Ms O’Neill after Sinn Fein ruled out attending events in the US capital in protest against Mr Trump’s stance on Gaza.

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn will also be in the city this week to “celebrate the strong ties between Northern Ireland and the United States”.