Announcements come as Taoiseach makes Washington, D.C. visit for St. Patrick’s Day
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have both announced that they are considering potential trips to Ireland in the near future.
Read More: Irish leader calls for US Special Envoy to protect North peace against Brexit
The news comes at Ireland’s Taoiseach [Prime Minister] Leo Varadkar is in Washington, DC for his annual St. Patrick’s Day visit.
On Thursday, the Taoiseach and his partner Matt Barret were hosted by US Vice President Mike Pence for breakfast at his US Naval Observatory residence.
Thanks to the Vice President and his sister for a lovely morning at his home. What a great way to start this St Patrick’s weekend pic.twitter.com/2tzLEOTTpt
— Leo Varadkar (@campaignforleo) March 14, 2019
EchoLive reports that during the breakfast, Vice President Pence said he’s interested in visiting Counties Sligo and Clare to visit his “grandfather’s homestead.”
Of his Irish grandfather, VP Pence said: “He was proud of being American but I can still hear that Irish brogue.”
Read More: Washington is failing to engage with the Irish outside of St. Patrick’s Day
The Irish Independent reports that on Thursday, President Trump said: "I'll be coming [to Ireland] at some point during the year. I missed it last time but I would have loved to have been there. It's a special place."
The US President added that he as a “very warm spot” for Doonbeg in Co Clare, where he owns a golf resort.
"It's just a great place," President Trump added.
President Trump was expected to visit Ireland in November 2018 but never did.
Speaking with The Washington Post on Wednesday, the Taoiseach addressed the differences between the US and Irish governments: “We are very different politically, and our governments are very different."
"We have very different views on social policy and very different views on multilateralism. I don’t think those can be reconciled, but I think that the relationship between Ireland and the U.S. is long-lasting, it’s strong.”
Read More: Irish leader to discuss E3 visas with President Trump during St. Patrick’s Day visit
“Governments in Ireland change, and presidents in America change. The job that I have to do and others have to do is to make sure that those things that transcend the administrations or governments that are in power are in place.”
The Taoiseach went on to add: “There are areas in which [Trump] has been quite helpful to Ireland.”
“We had an issue around Aughinish, which is a very big aluminum plant in the West of the country employing hundreds of people that was potentially threatened by sanctions on Russia. The U.S. administration was very helpful in protecting those jobs. They worked with us on immigration issues as well, particularly around regularizing undocumented immigrants who are Irish citizens in the States and easing immigration rules so that some of those Irish people who want to invest here can get [visas] more easily.”
“He does own a business in Ireland, too, which we shouldn’t forget.”
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