Taoiseach Micheál Martin is heading to the White House on Wednesday to meet US president Donald Trump as part of the St Patrick’s Day programme of events.
So, what are the day’s key times? Washington DC, and the US east coast as a whole, is currently four hours behind Ireland after daylight savings time kicked in at the weekend.
- Mr Martin met vice-president JD Vance at his residence for a breakfast meeting around 8.30am (12.30pm Irish time).
- He will then head for the Oval Office to meet Mr Trump at 11am (3pm Irish time). He will speak to the media when the event concludes at around 11.45am. Mr Martin will be the first EU leader to visit the Oval Office since Mr Trump and Mr Vance clashed with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy there last month.
- The Fianna Fáil leader will attend the US Friends of Ireland congressional luncheon at 1pm (5pm Irish time).
- Then, at around 4pm (8pm Irish time), Mr Martin and Mr Trump will take part in the traditional Shamrock Ceremony the White House.
Key Reads
- Analysis: Trump may be in no mood for a deal with EU on tariffs
- John McManus: The more Trump talks of tariffs the better it is for Ireland
- Fintan O’Toole has a cunning plan
More on the socks the Veep wore.
We have some some footage of the breakfast ahead of the main event in the White House shortly.
Among the guests were Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh and senators Tim Sheehy and Susan Collins.
If you are wondering what was on the breakfast menu, we have you covered. There was a cup of fresh berries, poached eggs Benedict with roasted potato cake, cured ham and sliced avocado and a bread basket that included “Irish soda bread, pepper scones, black olive bread and honey butter.”
The Taoiseach has arrived back at Blair House, the presidential guesthouse across the road from the White House in advance of meeting with President Trump.
The full text of the Taoiseach’s address at the JD Vance-hosted breakfast has arrived and it opens and closes with a good deal of gratitude.
“Let me begin by expressing my sincere thanks to President Trump and to you, Mr Vice President, for continuing the time-honoured tradition of celebrating St Patrick’s Day in Washington DC.
Thank you, Madam Second Lady, thank you Usha, for hosting this St. Patrick’s Day breakfast in your residence.
Mary and I greatly appreciate your warm welcome and hospitality.
To some, it may seem strange that I, as Taoiseach, choose to spend our national day here in the United States. But as you may know, Mr Vice President, St Patrick’s Day, as it is celebrated today with great fanfare and flourish, began here in the United States.
In times long past, Irish emigrants, far from hearth and home, marked the day in memory of the families they had left behind.
Over time, the celebrations grew in strength and number, and today we are deeply proud that March 17th is a day to showcase our rich culture and great friendship from across the world.
The United States has been a steadfast friend of Ireland’s for centuries.
Indeed, the United States was the first country to recognise our long-sought independence.
Last year we marked 100 years of Irish-US diplomatic relations. Together we have built deep and enduring political, cultural and economic bonds, greatly enriching our two nations in the process.
First and foremost, our kinship was built upon the ties between our people, especially the generations of Irish who made their homes here.
Scots-Irish emigrants, among them your forebears, Mr Vice President, played a key role in shaping this great country, and Appalachia in particular.
Many helped to build the railroads and contributed greatly to America’s prosperity.
Others brought the fiddle to meet the African banjo, blending the traditions of the immigrant communities who lived there to create something new, fresh and exciting.
I was fascinated to learn that in recent years, geologists discovered that the Appalachian trail does not begin and end in North America. Part of it is in Ireland and Britain, split millions of years ago by the movement of tectonic plates.
It is not so surprising then, that Irish and Scottish emigrants, upon arrival in the US, chose a familiar landscape on which to found their new lives.
Irish Americans continue to make their mark on America, from politics, to the arts, to business.
They have helped to sustain our people-to-people ties and make a crucial contribution to our economic relationship.
Ireland is now in the top ten as a source of foreign direct investment into the US, supporting the jobs of hundreds of thousands of people across the US.
Nowhere is the strength of the US-Irish relationship more in evidence than in our peace process.
Forty-four years ago, President Reagan called for a “just and peaceful solution” to the conflict that had for so long devastated lives on our island.
Politicians from both sides of the aisle rose to the occasion. The lasting peace we enjoy on our island today is a signature achievement of US foreign policy.
This story of peace is one we wrote together.
We know that building peace is a difficult and painstaking task. We are ready to play our part in supporting work to end conflict and to secure peace, whether in the Middle East or in Ukraine.
I welcome the focus and effort that President Trump and his administration has brought to the task from his very first days in office
As it has always been, the US remains an indispensable partner and global actor.
Mr Vice-President, I know we care deeply about the world our children and our children’s children inherit.
And I know that the US and Ireland will continue to stand together, working tirelessly to secure a future that offers the promise of peace and prosperity.
Mr Vice President, as I wrap up, allow me to thank you and the Second Lady once again for opening your home to us -- and through us to the people of Ireland.
You have made us feel right at home in this splendid house on this, our first St Patrick’s Day together.
And I hope that you will allow us to return the honour. I have been told that our small island holds a special place in your shared memories, as you and Usha enjoyed a road trip in Ireland some years back, visiting the Ring of Kerry, Skibbereen, Cashel and Dublin.
We would be honoured and delighted to welcome you both back to our shores before too long.
Mr Vice-President, I know you are partial to a round of golf.
We have some exceptional courses in Ireland, one of which - in a remote and beautiful part of Ireland called Doonbeg - President Trump could tell you a thing or two about playing.
Mr Vice-President, Madam Second Lady, Mary and I thank you once again for your hospitality.
And we thank you for your friendship.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh.
Some footage of the JD Vance reports from the White House account on X has landed.
The Taoiseach Micheál Martin has hailed Donald Trump’s focus and “progress” on brokering peace since he returned to the White House.
Mr Martin said that peace on the island of Ireland was “a signature achievement” of US foreign policy and said that Ireland was ready to “play our part” in ending other conflicts around the world.
“Nowhere is the strength of the US-Irish relationship more in evidence than in our own peace process,” Mr Martin said.
“44 years ago, president Reagan called for a just and peaceful solution to the conflict that has for so long devastated lives on our island. Politicians from both sides of the aisle rose to the occasion, and the lasting peace we enjoy today on our island is a signature achievement of US foreign policy.
“This story of peace is one that we both wrote together. We know that building peace is a difficult and painstaking task, and we are ready to play our part in supporting work to end conflict and to secure peace in Ukraine or in the Middle East or wherever.
“We welcome very much the unrelenting focus and effort that President Trump and his administration has brought to this task from his very first days in office, and we welcome the progress that is clearly being made.”
Speaking ahead of the annual breakfast the Taoiseach Micheál Martin thanked Mr Vance for his “warm welcome and hospitality” and joked that he would need to “adjust very rapidly” his “conservative” dress sense after seeing Mr Vance’s socks.
“The United States has been a steadfast friend of Ireland for centuries. Indeed, the United States was the first country to recognise our long, soft independence,” Mr Martin said.
“Together, we have built deep and enduring political, cultural and economic bonds, greatly enriching our two nations in the process.”
Among those at the meeting are US health secretary Robert F Kennedy and Ireland’s ambassador to the US Geraldine Byrne Nason.
Robert F Kennedy arriving at the US vice-president’s residence for the annual St Patrick’s Day breakfast.
There was some talk this morning of JD Vance’s socks. So here they are.
Some more pics of the big breakfast in Washington this morning.
Some video of the arrival of the Taoiseach to his breakfast with JD Vance.
In case you have been wondering, the Taoiseach is sharing his breakfast table - if not his breakfast - with Robert F Kennedy.
JD Vance welcomed Micheál Martin and said the Irish-American relationshiip was “One of the great alliances one of the great friendships of the world.”
He recalled a visit to Ireland with his wife and said he encountered “beautiful landscape . . . and also technological growth”
He said the visit was an opportunity to “remind people of the important bonds of friendship between US and Ireland” and joked that it was also an opportunity for his wife to wear her green pants
He Displayed his own shamrock socks and asked that if Donald Trump - “a fan of conservative dress” - notices them in the Oval Office later Micheál Martin might intervene on his behalf.
So, all going swimmingly so far.
The wearing of the green - the Taoiseach, his wife Mary and the vice-president and his wife Usha in Washington this morning
It was all smiles this morning when Micheál Martin arrived for a breakfast hosted by US vice-president JD Vance at his residence at the US Naval Observatory. The Taoiseach and his wife Mary were greeted by Mr Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance. There was a lot of green being worn with both the Taoiseach and the Veep wearing the same tie. Awkward.
For what it’s worth, the visit by our Taoiseach to the White House today is not exactly headline news in the US. While there is a brief mention in the Washington Post this morning, it’s is hard to find any reference to it at all in the New York Times. That might well change as the day goes on, however.
In Shannon Marco Rubio said he wanted both Russia and Ukraine to “consider ending all hostilities so people will stop dying, so bullets will stop flying”.
He said “a process can begin to define a permanent peace. I think the first step in all this is the acceptance that there is no military solution to this conflict, and neither side can militarily achieve their maximalist goals. Neither side can achieve them through the military side.
“The only way this conflict can end is through negotiation. That’s the only way you’re going to have peace.
“And so we need to start that process, and it is hard to start a process when people are shooting at each other and people are dying, and so our hope is that we can stop that all these hostilities and get to a negotiating table where both sides over some period of time, with a lot of hard work, can find a mutually acceptable outcome that in the case of Ukraine obviously secures a long-term prosperity and and security.“
Asked about security guarantees for Ukraine he said:
“What we want to see is, like any country in the world, Ukraine wants their long-term security. They want to make sure that this doesn’t happen again. What is the point of spending all this time to get a ceasefire, hopefully, and then a negotiated end of the war, only to see it spark up again in about six years, four years, three years.
So I think the question really is more about a deterrence. “Can Ukraine create a sufficient deterrent against future aggression, against future attack against future invasion? Because every country in the world has a right to defend themselves and no one can dispute that. So that will most certainly have to be part of the conversation.”
Irish Times Political Editor Pat Leahy has an update from the Hill.
As Taoiseach Micheál Martin begins a day of engagements with US leaders – including his Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump – Washington is waking up to the news that the EU has retaliated against the steel and aluminium tariffs which came into operation against imports today.
From today the US is imposing 25 per cent tariffs against steel and aluminium imports from all countries, though Mr Trump swerved at the last minute to withdraw a threat made yesterday to increase the tariffs on imports from Canada to 50 per cent.
The EU announced a two-stage response, imposing tariffs on some American products from April 1, and further measure from mid-April.
The response sets the scene for a frantic few weeks of contacts between Washington and Brussels before the deadline expires – and the first EU leader to meet Mr Trump is the Taoiseach today.
Fox News is reporting that the breakfast for the Irish delegation hosted by US vice-president JD Vance is about to begin.
The host of the morning show also pronounced our Taoiseach’s first name as Michelle.
It has also suggested that the Russia Ukraine war is “likely going to be a part of today’s conversation” and highligted a statement from Mr Martin yesterday in which he said “a lasting durable and fair peace in Ukraine is something we all desire. We welcome the outcome of talks between the US and Ukraine [and a] pathway to peace now exists”.
Former FG TD John Deasy believes all will be calm at the White House today.
While Micheál Martin is in Washington, the US Secretary of State Marcos Rubio is in Shannon talking about attempts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine. He is heading back to the US from Saudi Arabia.
The predicament is dire, suggests Fintan O’Toole. “How should Micheál Martin deal with Donald Trump when he meets him in the White House?” The goods news is O’Toole has a cunning plan.
The EU’s spokesperson on trade and financial services, Olaf Gill has said he trusts that Taoiseach Micheál Martin will represent “Team Europe’s” position on tariffs when he meets US President Donald Trump later today.
Also speaking on RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show t he said the EU and the leaders of every member state needed to “act as one” when the EU is targeted by “unjustified, unfair and needless” tariffs.
It was “great” that Mr Martin would be able to tell Mr Trump that the EU wants to find solutions and avoid tariffs.
“I have full faith in the great political and diplomatic skills of the Taoiseach to make the case for the European Union when he meets him today.”
Mr Gill added that the EU’s response to the US was designed to protect its economy, workers and consumers. The EU has put together a “two-step plan.” The EU wanted and was ready to negotiate and that its “door remains open”.
However, Mr Gill acknowledged that it seemed likely that the US could impose more severe tariffs on the EU.
The chairperson of Republicans Overseas UK has said he is not sure it would be appropriate for the Taoiseach to raise the issue of EU tariffs when he meets Donald Trump later today, writes Vivienne Clarke.
Speaking on RTÉ‘s Today with Claire Byrne, Greg Swenson said there are some sensitivities around the issue and the Taoiseach does not speak for the entire EU.
Mr Swenson said the EU’s trade surplus with the US is “one of the things that is semi-annoying to Mr Trump”.
“I think it would be good diplomacy to avoid the topic,” Mr Swenson said.
He added that any sort of a trade war is the last thing the EU should want right now.
He said he expected that today’s meeting will be lengthy and public, adding that this is a great opportunity for Micheál Martin.
Greg Swenson said he expects Mr Trump will make today’s occasion a little more light-hearted and celebratory rather than treating it like a sit down with an EU leader.
He said today will most likely be about the cultural connection that Ireland and the US enjoys.
John McManus has an interesting take on why the trade war might not be all bad news for Martin.
Micheál Martin might be quietly wishing that Ireland’s celebration of St Patrick took place at some other time of the year, suggests Cliff Taylor. Not only has the date fallen to leave him as the first leader to meet Donald Trump after the explosive encounter with Volodymyr Zelinskiy, but he also visits the Oval Office on the very day a trade war kicks off between the EU and US.
Overnight US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from all over the world – including the EU – came into effect and Europe responded with its own tariffs on a range of US goods.
It is hard to see this being avoided in the Oval Office. Martin’s likely direction would be to stick to the Brussels script, which is that tariffs are not a good idea and that there is time to negotiate before the first round of the EU measures come into force at the start of April.
Above all, Martin will want to avoid inflaming the situation, with a full-scale trade war between the two sides certain to hurt Ireland badly.
It is tricky territory. Martin can speak as an EU leader but he can’t negotiate in any meaningful way as this is the job of the EU Commission. Bar, of course, offering an invite to the Ryder Cup in 2027.
Today’s visit by the Taoiseach Micheál Martin to Donald Trump in the White House could be extraordinary or an entirely run of the mill affair.
It is impossible to say what will happen but what we do know is that the Taoiseach is the first EU leader to visit the Oval Office since the disastrous meeting between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy last month.
And as if that wasn’t enough to have people on edge, the annual St Patrick’s Day visit comes on the day the EU has ramped up the nascent trade war with the US by announcing plans to impose counter tariffs on €26 billion worth of US goods from next month.
There are also several sub-plots that could make today a day to remember or one to forget. Whatever happens, we’ll be here watching.
