The Irish taoiseach may not be able to visit the White House for the traditional St. Patrick’s Day celebration on Wednesday, but he has sent a bowl of shamrocks so that President Biden has a sprig of green for his lapel.
The gift will be presented during a series of virtual meetings that will reaffirm the historic partnership between the two countries, according to a senior administration official.
The president and vice president will also use a series of video link-ups to reinforce American support for the Good Friday Agreement as well as peace and stability in Northern Ireland.
But it will be a very different kind of March 17 at the White House this year, with the usual festivities replaced by video calls and Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin unable to travel to Washington.
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“Unfortunately, the pandemic is preventing the traditional White House celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, which is something that dates back to 1952,” said the official. “But despite the pandemic, we are determined to fully celebrate the holiday in recognition both of the holiday, as well as our strong bilateral ties with Ireland.”
Biden’s Irish roots, added the official, meant he was determined to keep the event as similar to previous years as possible before returning to an in-person celebration next year.
Most years include a St. Patrick’s Day lunch at the U.S. Capitol and an evening reception at the White House.
This time around, Vice President Kamala Harris will hold a video meeting with Martin first, before the president will speak with the prime minister about combating COVID-19, addressing global challenges, including through Ireland’s current seat on the United Nations Security Council, and supporting political and economic stability in Northern Ireland.
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“And of great importance to the president, there will also be the traditional ceremony with the shamrock bowl with the Irish government having sent a beautiful engraved bowl here to the White House in Washington, along with shamrocks so that we will be able to preserve this part of the, the bilateral meeting, and the ties between our countries, even though we are doing this in a virtual way this year,” the official added.
A gift of a shamrock was first sent to President Harry Truman in 1952 by the Irish Ambassador John Joseph Hearne.
