Taoiseach Leo Varadkar flew to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday to participate in a series of events leading up to his Oval Office meeting with President Joe Biden on St. Patrick’s Day. Prior to Varadkar’s departure, it was confirmed that Biden will visit Northern Ireland and the Republic next month.
“Good news that President Biden plans to visit Ireland in the near future. I look forward to discussing the visit during my meeting with the President later this week,” Varadkar tweeted on Tuesday.
Good news that President Biden plans to visit Ireland in the near future. I look forward to discussing the visit during my meeting with the President later this week.
— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) March 14, 2023
Varadkar’s schedule in D.C., where he will be for three days, includes an event at Georgetown University on Thursday with Hillary Clinton called “Women at the Helm: The Unfinished Business of Northern Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement.”
He'll also be speaking at an event on Thursday hosted by IrishCentral and the AOH.
The night before he will attend the American Ireland Fund gala which this year is honoring House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer.
St. Patrick’s morning on Friday begins with the traditional Irish breakfast hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris before Varadkar’s meeting at the Oval Office with Biden, and the annual House speaker’s luncheon in the afternoon.
At 5 pm on Friday, Biden will be the guest of honor at a St. Patrick’s reception hosted by the Bidens at the White House.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin, beginning a St. Patrick’s Day visit to New York on Monday, was on hand at the National Committee on American Foreign Policy which honored Hillary Clinton for her work on the Northern Irish peace process.
Clinton took part in an evening reception where she spoke fondly of her time in the North, where she will travel next month with former President Bill Clinton for Good Friday Agreement 25th anniversary commemorative events.
“I’m very optimistic about what lies ahead for Northern Ireland. Let us go forth and follow the Good Friday Agreement,” Hillary Clinton said at the National Committee event.
In this anniversary year of the Good Friday Agreement, the Government of Ireland is thinking, not only of what was achieved 25 years ago, but of all that can still be achieved in the 25 years to come. @NATLCOMMITTEE pic.twitter.com/rBpF0EvnJ3
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) March 13, 2023
Martin has a number of events scheduled for his visit to New York and Boston over the next week. His Wednesday schedule included a visit to the New York Irish Center in Queens and attendance at the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Foundation gala dinner in the evening.
Martin will ring the opening bell at the NASDAQ on Thursday morning with officials from the New York City parade, and attend the Ireland U.S. Council lunch at the Metropolitan Club.
On Friday, he will march in the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade and attend the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland’s concert at Carnegie Hall in the evening. Saturday begins his two-day trip to Boston where he will speak at the John F. Kennedy Library, and take part in the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day parade on Sunday.
*This column first appeared in the March 15 edition of the weekly Irish Voice newspaper, sister publication to IrishCentral.
Comments