In a fast-moving and unpredictable world, it is good to know there are some certainties upon which we can depend. One of those is that St. Patrick’s Day, every 17 March, is an occasion that Irish people, and people of Irish heritage, will celebrate all over the world, especially here in the United States. And for our small island, from which so many people emigrated throughout our history, this is a deeply felt celebration of shared history, culture, connections and values.
This year is particularly special. As the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary, we are proud in Ireland to have been a part of that story: from the man from county Kilkenny who designed the White House (James Hoban), to the “Father of the American Navy” from county Wexford (John Barry), to the printer of the first copies of the Declaration of Independence, Tyrone man John Dunlap.
Even more important are the hundreds of thousands of Irish men and women who helped build not only the physical infrastructure of this great country – the railroads, the ports and the remarkable cities of America – but also the social infrastructure – the schools and hospitals, the churches and grassroots organisations – which remain the backbone of this country today.
Today, our Ireland House offices in New York and our new Embassy premises in Washington, D.C. at 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue - right next door to the White House - are concrete manifestations of our ambition for the 21st century U.S.-Ireland partnership.
At the centre of that ambition is our deep and mutually beneficial economic relationship. Approximately 900 US companies choose Ireland – a dynamic European base from which to innovate and drive growth - for their European headquarters.
And Irish companies return the favour in spectacular fashion. Ireland is now the 5th largest source of foreign direct investment into the U.S., with our investments valued at US$390 billion. In sum, almost 800 Irish companies are employing more than 200,000 workers across every state in this great country.
The relationship never stands still either - it keeps moving and growing. In the last few months alone, Irish companies have announced thousands of new jobs across states like Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky and Oklahoma. Irish aircraft companies are Boeing’s largest customer, with a current order book worth $115 billion.
We never take this for granted, ever. For centuries, Ireland was a country of emigration and hardship. It is only in the last half a century that our economy has grown exponentially, and our society has become more equal and more inclusive.
A big part of our success is our membership of the European Union. And we’re looking forward to taking up the EU Presidency in July this year. For six months, we’ll be leading the EU’s agenda. We still believe that the European and U.S. relationship is best served by working together; addressing the genuine concerns on both sides and providing a stable, long term framework in which our companies can flourish and create prosperity for citizens.
We’ll be taking on the Presidency challenge at a tough time, with huge challenges facing Europe. Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, now in its fifth year, has brought war to Europe, with continuing Russian attacks on Ukraine’s towns, cities and energy infrastructure.
The European response has been united in support and solidarity. Ireland, for our part, is unequivocal in our support for the brave men and women of Ukraine. We welcome the efforts of the United States to end Russia’s war of aggression and we will support these efforts through our membership of the Coalition of the Willing.
As regards the current conflict in Iran and the Gulf and Middle East, Ireland’s longstanding position is one of support for international law and the United Nations. Our priority now is to see urgent de-escalation and a return to dialogue and diplomacy. Elsewhere in the region, we have supported U.S. leadership in developing the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, and we’ll continue to champion a two-state solution, with Israelis and Palestinians alike deserving security, peace and prosperity.
None of this is easy. We know from our own history that conflict resolution is never straightforward. It takes difficult compromises. And it takes true friends; we’ll never forget the incredible bipartisan support from the U.S., over many decades, that was instrumental in bringing peace to Northern Ireland with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Of course, countries that are committed to peace also need to be ready to counter threats from those who aren’t. In Ireland, we’ve increased defence spending by 43% since 2020; this year, we announced the most significant programme of capital investment in our Defence Forces in the history of our state.
Our ambition is a safe and prosperous Ireland helping to shape a competitive and innovative Europe. Our economy is thriving, with record job creation, strong public and private investment and low unemployment. We’ll bring that energy and focus on competitiveness to our EU Presidency, taking forward actions which will make the EU an even more positive environment in which both European and American companies can thrive.
And we’ll work every day to nourish and build the amazing cultural, business, education, sporting and community partnerships between Europe and the US that have enriched so many lives on both sides of the Atlantic for decades.
All of us working at Ireland House here in New York – not least those like me who moved here just over six months ago – are in total admiration of the Irish and Irish-American communities who play such a major role in these partnerships.
What can only now be called “St Patrick’s Season” involves such an array of amazing events, gatherings and of course parades which showcase our incredible strength and diversity.
I and my team have done our best to participate in as many as we can across the six states our office covers. We look forward to managing two St Patrick’s Day visits from the Irish government with the Taoiseach visiting Philadelphia and our Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment visiting New York and New Jersey for a seven-day programme.
A chairde, Ireland’s strength is in its stability. Predictability might not make the headlines but it has made Ireland a great place to invest, visit, study and do business.
There is an old Irish proverb “ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine” – we live in each other’s shadow. After 250 years of partnership, we’re more convinced than ever that Ireland and the U.S. can do great things together. And that’s a transatlantic ambition worth toasting this St. Patrick’s Day!
Gerald Angley is Consul General of Ireland in New York.
