In the halls of the Capitol, a celebratory mood fills the air when the chiming sound of bagpipes resonates, urging employees to embrace the colour green. President Biden, influenced by the festive spirit, occasionally cites lines from an Irish poet during this period. When the Irish visit, the White House makes grand preparations, implementing stringent security measures and using their finest china.
Year after year, the sheer audacity of these proceedings is a constant, puzzling reality. How does this keep happening?
Starting the day with a meal alongside Vice-President Kamala Harris, and subsequently discussing Ireland’s perspective on Gaza with President Biden in the historic Oval Office under the watchful gaze of a Lincoln portrait, Leo Varadkar admits to a sense of bemusement. Following a hasty trip across the city for a lunch meeting with Republican Speaker Mike Johnson and the Friends of Ireland Caucus, Varadkar couldn’t help but acknowledge the surreal nature of it all.
“I’d venture to say that Ireland might be the only nation globally that can transform its national holiday into an international week of festivities,” he shared with the guests in the Rayburn room, hosted by Speaker Mike Johnson, while an elated President looked on. Only moments ago, he had asked Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly, Northern Ireland’s emerging faces, to rise to their feet. A charmed President simply commented, “Who would have believed it?”
As Varadkar formally welcomed them to Ireland, Biden and Johnson, seemingly in agreement, smiled. Although both American politicians probably hadn’t had friendly conversations within the Capitol’s corridors recently, their bonds to their Irish heritage were evident. If St Patrick’s Day celebrations could occur every week, the Republicans and Democrats might even swiftly pass bipartisan bills. At the very least, they’d all gain a deeper appreciation for Irish poetry.
The potency of this yearly gathering is somewhat deceptive. The rhetoric typically revolves around vague declarations of aspiration and history – it was almost miraculous that the absence of a reference to Seamus Heaney’s timeless line. However, the Taoiseach attended this year’s Washington event with a decisive and open message about Gaza. The message was conveyed as soon as he arrived in Boston and was reiterated at every venue on Friday.
Being fortunate can certainly assist in such a position. What the Irish Government party could not foresee as they transatlantic was that Chuck Schumer, the majority leader of the House and the top Jewish politician on the Hill, was composing a considerable, profoundly personal discourse on the Middle East to present on Thursday. His speech was harshly critical of the Israeli leaders and pressed for an immediate ceasefire and halt to the horrendous Palestinian death toll. It was unequivocally the most outright condemnation of Israel by a high-ranking Democratic figure. Consequently, in the Oval office, post cordial exchange between the president and the Taoiseach, Biden declared it as an impressive speech, commenting that Schumer had voiced a grave worry shared by many Americans.
Varadkar was present in what looked like the moment that showed the limits of White House patience with Israel, all under the soft guise of Irish diplomacy.
Biden opted to forgo the lunch at the Capitol, instead descending the Capitol steps with Johnson and Varadkar. These Irish occasions appear to imbue him with a youthful spirit. His smile radiated from the colossal convoy known as “The Beast”. The day was triumphant to the degree that the Taoiseach might have risked the traditionally Irish departure by tapping his knuckles on the bonnet of “The Beast” as it departed.
Yet, there are limits to what one can get away with.