EDWARD F CRAWFORD is officially the new US Ambassador to Ireland after the billionaire businessman was confirmed by the US Senate last night.

The role has been vacant for the entirety of Donald Trump’s presidency but will now be filled by Crawford, who previously told the US Senate that he is “not a diplomat”.

Crawford’s nomination has been making its way through Congress since the beginning of the year but was officially confirmed by a Senate vote last night.

The Cleveland businessman was comfortably confirmed in the ballot with 90 votes in favour, four against, and six senators not voting.

Democratic presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren were among those to vote against Crawford’s nomination while Cory Booker voted in favour.

Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar and Bernie Sanders, who are all also running for the White House, did not vote.

During his confirmation hearing in April, Crawford pointed to his Irish heritage as part of his qualifications for the role. Both his parents left Ireland to travel to the US in the 1920s and he said they would be “very proud of what we have accomplished as a family”.

Ireland’s Ambassador to the USA Daniel Mulhall last night welcomed the confirmation of his counterpart.

“The US Senate has confirmed Edward Crawford as the new US Ambassador to Ireland. Ambassador Crawford has long been a leading member of the Irish community in Cleveland, Ohio. I wish him well for his new assignment in Ireland,” Mulhall tweeted.

Chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in Ireland Reece Smyth also welcomed the news that the team at the embassy would soon have its ambassador.

“We look forward to the Ambassador-Designate’s arrival in the near future. He is committed to advancing the already strong ties between our two great nations,” Smyth said this morning.