ENDA KENNY WILL be making his annual stateside pilgrimage for St Patrick’s Day next month.

It won’t be all handing-shamrock-to-Obama, though, with the Taoiseach set to give a talk at SXSW Interactive, part of the popular Texan music and conference festival.

Here is the festival as we’re used to seeing it:

Debbie Harry performing with Blondie at SXSW in 2014. Source: AP/Press Association Images

De La Soul's Vincent Maso, and Damon Albarn at the festival last year. Source: AP/Press Association Images

Lady Gaga also took to the SXSW stage last year. Source: AP/Press Association Images

Kenny will speak to an audience on Sunday, 15 March in the Austin Convention Centre.

SXSW organisers said Kenny will discuss the “how the Irish economy has been growing repidly” and the reputation as “a location for launching startups and a leading tech and innovation hub”.

An Irish Consulate office opened in Austin in October 2014.

• In full: Where our ministers are going for St Patrick’s Day…

The green and the good

Let’s take a moment to reminisce on Kenny’s last St Patrick’s Day trip to the US.

He had the craic with President Obama:

Source: Merrion Street/Flickr

But there were some serious moments too:

Source: Merrion Street/Flickr

And, of course, there was time to watch some Irish dancing:

Source: Merrion Street/Flickr

Enda will NOT be marching in New York’s St Patrick’s Day parade

Barack Obama salutes BOD at annual White House Shamrock ceremony