LAST UPDATE | 1 May 2025

AT A CONFIRMATION hearing for the US ambassador to Ireland, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged the nominee to “ensure our friends in Ireland understand America strongly supports Israel”.

Edward Sharp Walsh is an American businessman who has been nominated by US president Donald Trump to serve as the US ambassador to Ireland.

The previous US ambassador to Ireland was Claire Cronin, whose term ended when Biden left the White House.

Walsh told the Committee that he will be able to “exercise diplomacy from the green lawns of Ireland’s golf courses”.

Walsh is a member of Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, New Jersey.

When Trump announced that he would nominate Walsh to the role, he remarked that Walsh is a “a Champion Golfer, a very good asset for the Ambassador of Ireland to have.”

Republican Senator Jim Risch is the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

He described Ireland as a “gateway for the critical telecom infrastructure linking Europe and the United States”.

He added that this “strategic position comes with significant responsibility to address the very real threats to it” and called on Ireland to “increase defence spending to safeguard vital undersea cables from our shared enemies”.

Risch meanwhile described the decision by Ireland to recognise the state of Palestine as a “mistake”.

“This recognition fails to acknowledge actual conditions on the ground and worse, the horrific attack against Israel on 7 October,” said Risch.

Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Cmte, Sen Risch calls on possible new US Ambassador to Ireland Edward Walsh to talk to Irish govt about increasing defence spending to protect undersea cables and the country’s stance on Palestine pic.twitter.com/rXCIoJJ9ZC

— Jackie Fox (@jackiefox_) May 1, 2025

He added: “Until Hamas is destroyed, a Palestinian state seems exceptionally unlikely.

“Calls for statehood fail to recognize that Israel can no longer tolerate terrorists in Gaza or in Lebanon.

“I hope you will ensure that our friends in Ireland will understand that America strongly supports Israel.”

Walsh told the Committee he was “honoured” to be the nominee for ambassador to Ireland and that he would work to promote US interests in Ireland if confirmed.

He said one of the “foremost priorities” will be enhancing the “economic partnership” between the US and Ireland.

Meanwhile, he remarked that Trump has “made it very clear that Israel is a close ally of ours and that antisemitism has no room in the entire world”.

“I look forward to working constructively on the issues contributing to the tensions between Israel and Ireland.”

Elsewhere at the hearing, Republican Senator Ted Cruz said the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been “engaged in a campaign against our Israeli allies” and that it has issued arrest warrants against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“These warrants are utterly illegitimate,” claimed Cruz, who added that the ICC is “setting a precedent to go after countries who are not members of the Court, which exposes American soldiers and officials”.

“Ireland has filed a motion to directly boost the ICC campaign,” said Cruz.

Last November, both Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris said that they would execute the arrest warrant issued against Netanyahu.

And last month, Netanyahu’s plane avoided Irish airspace on his flight from Hungary to the US due to arrest fears.

Cruz said Ireland’s support for the ICC “endangers core American interests” and asked Walsh how he “intends to approach these issues”.

Walsh said that while he hadn’t been “full briefed”, he is aware that it’s a “big issue and a big concern”.

He said he would “hold Ireland reliable to help us”.

“We’re an ally of Israel so it’s a difficult conversation and I’d be glad to relay president Trump’s message over to them at any time.”

Meanwhile, Republican Senator Lindsay Graham introduced Walsh at the hearing today.

Graham remarked that “we all like stopping (in Ireland) on our way to some place else”.

“And now that Ed’s going to be ambassador, I’m going to stay a bit longer.”

He added: “To our friends in Ireland, you’re getting one of the closest friends that president Trump has and that will benefit you because when Ed picks up the phone, president Trump will answer.”

Graham added: “And in this business, that matters.”

He noted that Walsh is a real estate developer in New Jersey and founder of The Walsh Company.

“And being in New Jersey, I’m sure that is a challenging task, to be in the real estate business.”

Graham remarked that Ireland is a very welcoming place where “people are full of life” and that Ireland has been a “good ally of the United States.”