TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY will be welcomed by President Barack Obama to the White House next week for the now-traditional ‘shamrock ceremony’.
The ceremony began back in 1952, during the time President Harry Truman was in office, when the then-Irish ambassador John Joseph Hearn dropped a box of shamrock at the White House for him.
Though President Truman was out of town, he later sent a message back to Ambassador Hearne in which he said that he hoped “relations between the two countries will continue to be on a good and effective level for generations.”
St Patrick’s Day was seen as an opportunity to strengthen Irish-US relations in the wake of WWII and Ireland’s neutrality. Since 1952, the shamrock ceremony has given Irish politicians the chance to spend time in the public glare with the US president, which is a huge opportunity.
President John F Kennedy receives shamrocks from the old sod from Irish Ambassador Thomas J Kiernan, at the White House in Washington on March 17, 1962. From left to right are: Rep. Michael J Kirwan, Kennedy, Kiernan, and Rep John E Fogarty. (AP Photo/John Rous)
This year, President Obama will welcome Kenny to the White House on Tuesday, 19 March.
In the morning, the two will meet in the Oval Office, before attending the traditional St Patrick’s Day lunch at the US Capitol.
In the evening, the President and the First Lady will host a reception to celebrate their fifth St Patrick’s Day at the White House, during which the annual shamrock ceremony will take place.
Here is a look back at the history of the shamrock ceremony:
(US Embassy Dublin/YouTube)
Read: How did the White House shamrock event first start?
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