Why do Ireland politicians believe that they can affect Washington

St. Patrick’s Day is connected with his fair share of traditions: from the sheam of the Shemrak, to a visit to the church service to pull one (or several) Stout.

For politicians from the island of Ireland there is another annual tradition – a visit to Washington.

Each March, dozens, including politicians, business people and lobbyists from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, descend the US capital.

This year, a number of Northern Ireland politicians refuse to travel on Donald Trump’s politics.

But what is the meaning of the events per week, which is subjected to St. Patrick’s Day, and if they did not happen, who would go from home, notice the difference?

The two main things that the governments in Dublin and Belfast – as well as businesses – want to get out of trips are investments in the US and strong trade relations.

Two men who have been in Washington several times as part of St. Patrick’s Day say that the trips are undoubtedly produced.

Steve Eiken took part in Patrick’s Day in Washington as CEO of the British-Irish Chamber of Commerce, and then the Ulster Union Party leader.

The Stormont Assembly member said it was impossible to establish relationships to improve business and political ties without meeting face to face.

“It is about the opportunity to talk to people you usually don’t get the opportunity to talk to,” he said.

“As we learned during COVID, the business over Zoom does not really do business.

“You need to be in the room to do this, and if you want to influence you should be there to talk; you can’t do it with 3,500 miles.”

Eiken said that contrary to what perception could be, it was not a “holiday”.

“You need to overcome your short and able to talk authoritatively, and you need to have answers to these questions – and you will be asked a lot of questions and you will throw a lot at you,” he said.

Former politician Sinn féin máirtín ó muilleoir.

Publisher Irish Echo twice visited the White House in this role, but did not go to Washington during his Northern Ireland Finance Minister after the STORMONT Executive Director two months before the 2017 festivities.

He said the mood in the United States on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day made it the perfect time for Irish politicians and businesses to take his step.

‘You think about the largest companies in the US

“You will go to the city in the US, where there will be advertising.

“That means they already do some work for you.”

He said he believed that the main announcement of financial services would be in the coming days.

In addition to assistance in the development of positive relations between Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United States, it is a little harder to attract direct results of annual visits – after all, the relationship is much greater than only St. Patrick’s Day.

In the 1990s, in particular, the visits were considered as important in the process, which led to the signing of the Great Friday agreement in 1998, which largely ended the worst of three decades of violence known as problems.

In 1995, then Leader Sinna Faine Jerry Adams attended the White House – A year after President Bill Clinton intervened to give him a visa in the US – The transition against the UK government.

Five years and two years after the 1998 Belfast Agreement, Adams posed for photos at the White House with President Clinton, and then the UUP leader David Tromblam – a reflection of how times changed.

Both Eiken and Muilea say that visits are key for investment and jobs in the US in Northern Ireland.

In 2024, there were 285 American firms in Northern Ireland, in which 31,915 people worked in 2010 – compared to 140 firms and 21 270 employees.

But Esmond Biri, Senior Economist of the University of Olster, said it could not be drawn direct connection.

“It is impossible to evaluate whether these political visits really lead to investment or sales, so you cannot really prove it anyway,” he said.

“Given the balance, the benefits are likely to be less than the basics of learning, skills, innovation and productivity, and so on.”

Dr. Biri said factors such as the location of Northern Ireland, both in the UK and the European Single Market, relatively low labor costs and relatively low levels and unobtrusive rules of continental European standards made US companies seek to invest.

It was once the Irish-Americans were known at the top of the US policy, with figures such as Senator Teddy Kennedy and the Speaker of the House of Representatives O’Nel, who promote Irish interests in the corridors of power.

In part, this was the result of many years of high level of emigration from Ireland to the United States – the 1930 census recorded 923,600 residents born on Ireland.

At the turn of the centuries, which fell up to 169 600.

The end of trouble also meant less headlines about Northern Ireland.

“One of the problems that every politician or influence from the island of Ireland – to the north or south is that people are interested in what is happening,” Eiken said.

“With everything else, what’s going on in the world, we are quite far on the list.”

Ó muilleoir, however, said.

“I once met with Switzerland’s consul at Manhattan, and I talked about the feeling that we no longer had such a influence in New York,” he said

“He said he was coming from Wall -Story to the Central Park, and he saw the Irish flag in each block – but did not see any Swiss flags.”

Xin Faine is Boycott of events this year For the position of President Donald Trump in the Israeli-Gaza conflict, that is, the first Minister of Northern Ireland, Michel O’Nel, the deputy leader of the party, will not be present.

The Social Democratic Party and the Labor Party also stated that it would not participate when invited, and the alliance holds a similar position.

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengel, the Democratic Trade Union, said it would go to Washington, saying it was important to “maintain long and useful” relations with the US.

Ó muilleoir said politicians should weigh the pros and cons.

“This is perhaps the most difficult time to be in the White House at St. Patrick,” he said.

“We are not the only people with moral dilemmas; this is your choice.”