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MICHEÁL MARTIN TOOK the new government jet on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic to America last night as the Taoiseach embarks on this year’s St Patrick’s Day festivities.
In the past, the Taoiseach would fly business class on commercial flights when travelling to the US, as the ailing Learjet wasn’t sanctioned to fly such distances.
However, the new €53 million black jet, which was manufactured in France, can now be used for such journeys as it has an operational distance of 10,200 kilometres.
The plane has room to carry 14 passengers.
After meeting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Cork for the UK-Ireland Summit yesterday, Martin jetted off for Philadelphia on Friday evening.
The Taoiseach will spend the next two days taking part in Irish-American events and visit landmarks such as the Liberty Bell, which is an iconic American symbol of freedom and independence.
He will also take part in the Philadelphia 2026 St Patrick’s Day parade on Sunday – which is celebrating its 255th year.
It will feature marching bands, Irish dancers and cultural organisations.
Of course, if travelling to Philadelphia, one has to stop by the famous Philadelphia Museum of Art, also known as the ‘Rocky Steps’.
This is what Martin’s clean-living diet and green tea drinking has been leading up to – scaling the 72 stone steps leading up to the East entrance.
From Philadelphia, the Taoiseach will then travel to Washington DC on Sunday afternoon.
He will attend an Irish embassy reception that evening. On Monday, he will attend an Enterprise Ireland breakfast and other business events, before attending the annual Ireland Funds dinner takes place at the National Building Museum.
In the last number of years, the dinner has been somewhat jinxed for the Taoiseach. In 2022, he was whisked from the room after taking a Covid test which turned out to be positive.
As a result, Martin’s first visit to the Oval Office was scuppered, and he had to spend a few days in quarantine in Blair House, a residence across the road from the White House.
Last year, there was a major kerfuffle at the dinner when the Burke family turned up to protest over Enoch Burke’s imprisonment.
The family members were removed by security at the event.
For the first time in a few years, the White House Oval Office meeting will take place on St Patrick’s Day this year.
On Tuesday, the Taoiseach will first have breakfast in the Naval Observatory, which is the home of the US Vice President, JD Vance.
The Taoiseach will then travel to the White House to meet with US President Donald Trump. A lunch will then be held on Capitol Hill, with Trump also in attendance.
Later that day, the St Patrick’s Day shamrock ceremony will take place in the White House, where Martin will present the bowl of shamrock to Trump in a room with hundreds of invited guests.
Stateside, as 250 years of the United States is celebrated, it is expected the Taoiseach will lean into the Irish-American relationship, in a bid to ensure the US administration looks kindly on Ireland when it comes to trade and tariffs.
The Taoiseach, and other ministers travelling to the US, will be highlighting that three signatories of the Declaration of Independence were Irish-born.
The fact that an estimated 45% of the Continental Army were of Irish birth or descent will also no doubt be a key feature in many a St Patrick’s Day speech.
Speaking ahead of his trip, Martin said over the coming days he will paying tribute to the role of the Irish diaspora in the foundation and development of the United States.
“My visit is also an opportunity to highlight the substantial trade and investment relationship between our two nations,” he said.
“I look forward to meeting with President Trump to reflect with him on the close bonds between our nations, including our dynamic economic partnership, and to congratulate him on the 250th anniversary of American independence. I expect there will also be an opportunity to discuss global matters, including how Ireland and the EU can work with the United States to reach peaceful resolutions in the Middle East and Ukraine,” he said.
The Taoiseach is not the only one heading off for St Patrick’s Day events.
The majority of Ireland’s 15 senior and 23 junior ministers are travelling abroad this year, with 40 representatives visiting cities across 50 countries.
As is now customary, Attorney General Rossa Fanning and Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy will also don their Irish caps and shamrocks for the occasion, in India and Los Angeles, respectively.
However, as reported last week, due to the conflict and subsequent flight restrictions in the Middle East, a number of ministers have had to make changes to their schedules.
Minister of State Niall Collins had been due to make a delayed St Patrick’s visit to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in April, following the conclusion of Ramadan.
However, it is understood his plans have changed and he is now going to travel to Chile and Argentina next week instead.
Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton was due to travel to those countries, but has taken the decision not to travel due to the fallout over the SNA redeployment plan.
Higher Education Minister James Lawless and OPW junior minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran are off to Australia for St Patrick’s Day, however their flights have been rescheduled in recent days as their routes were to include a stopover in Dubai.
Instead, their journey will include a number of connections before they reach Melbourne, with their original flights being refunded.
Junior minister for Sport Charlie McConalogue’s flights to Thailand and Vietnam have also been changed. He was planning to go via connection in Middle East but is now flying to Bangkok via Munich now.
The key message for ministers abroad this year is trading relationships and diversification, whole those ministers in the US will be highlighting the dynamic, two‑way partnership between the US and Ireland.
Enterprise Minister Peter Burke, who is travelling to New York for the St Patrick’s Day celebrations, will visit the New York Stock Exchange and will also meet the Mayor of New York Zohran Mamdani.
The minister has said he will underscore Ireland’s position as a stable, innovative European hub and a trusted transatlantic partner.
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