Biden to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day virtually with Ireland’s prime minister
President Joe Biden will host Taioseach Micheál Martin of Ireland for a virtual bilateral meeting on Wednesday to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the White House says, in yet another traditional head of state visit changed by the pandemic.
“St. Patrick’s Day is a particularly special event for President Biden given his Irish heritage, and so he is also committed to keeping tomorrow’s events as close to the way that they would appear if we were doing this in person,” a senior administration official said on Tuesday.
The Irish Taioseach, or prime minister, typically has had a standing invitation to the White House on St. Patrick’s Day. The event was moved to a virtual format after the coronavirus pandemic halted much international travel and changed the way people gather for celebrations and holidays.
There will still be a traditional Shamrock Bowl ceremony, according to the official, and the Irish government has sent a “beautiful engraved bowl” and shamrocks to the White House.
Biden and Martin are expected to discuss combating the pandemic, increasing “shared prosperity” and supporting political and economic stability in Northern Ireland, the official said. Both leaders will give remarks at the beginning of the meeting.
“This year, as Ireland takes a seat on the United Nations Security Council, we will redouble our joint work on peacekeeping, conflict resolution, accountability mechanisms, and women’s rights. Ireland and the United States will also work together to strengthen the United States-European Union partnership,” according to the White House.
Biden, whose family has Irish roots, will attend a mass on Wednesday morning in honor of St. Patrick’s Day in Wilmington, Delaware, the White House says.
The President often speaks about how growing up he practiced in the mirror for hours on end reciting poetry written by Irish poets like William Butler Yeats in order to manage his stutter.
Vice President Kamala Harris will also meet with Martin on Wednesday morning in place of the breakfast that has typically been hosted by the vice president on St. Patrick’s Day.
Harris will later meet virtually with Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill, according to the official.
“President Biden will be dropping by that meeting to reinforce US support for the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, as well as peace and stability in Northern Ireland,” the official said.
Last year, St. Patrick’s Day coincided with the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown. The Trump White House canceled the reception that was meant to celebrate the holiday and the visit of Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s Taoiseach at the time.
