Senator escalates row over Kenny’s US ‘shamrockery’

Efforts are being made to bring the president of the US Ireland Alliance Trina Vargo before an Oireachtas Committee after she accused Enda Kenny of embarrassing the country by presenting “shamrockery” gifts to US president Barack Obama.

The request was initiated by Fianna Fáil senator Mark Daly following a public spat between him and Ms Vargo after she criticised the presentation by the Taoiseach of a “certificate of Irishness” to Mr Obama.

In a blog posting last week Ms Vargo questioned who was behind the “certificate of Irishness” idea, which she derided as lamentable “shamrockery”.

Mr Daly last week slammed Ms Vargo for her comments and called on her to apologise to Enda Kenny. He also suggested that she should discuss her organisation’s “value for money” with the Oireachtas Committee on Education.

Ms Vargo wrote in her blog posting: “The Department of Foreign Affairs will use even their own Taoiseach to flog those things. The shop in Shannon Airport must have been out of leprechaun dolls and chunks of the auld sod. (Guess who will be off the Irish Embassy guest list, again!)

“The Taoiseach joked that the certificate is ‘rare’ — that’s because no one wants them. I know the country’s saving money, but I’m sure one of Ireland’s great writers would have been only to happy to sign a book for the President.

“Irish America can be just as bad. During this week it is always people from Ireland and Northern Ireland who tell me how horrified they are by the shamrockery, and they’re right, it’s embarrassing.”

Mr Daly last week hit back at Ms Vargo and accused her of bashing Irish Americans.

“Ms Vargo, for all her political experience, seems to have nothing good to say about virtually anyone in the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland or the Irish American Community,” he said. “Ms Vargo should issue an apology. One would have to wonder what was behind this recent outburst.”

However, Ms Vargo issued a fiery response to the Kerry senator and stated that Irish Government funds have not been spent on the Mitchell Scholarship programme for more than a decade.

She also said that audit reports from her organisation are regularly sent to the Department of Education.

“I find it disturbing that you suggest that my job is to only wear the green jersey. I am apparently allowed to praise Ireland and promote Ireland, but never criticise it... This demand that people keep quiet and never raise questions is one reason Ireland is in the situation it now finds itself. I created the US-Ireland Alliance as the antidote to the shamrocks and leprechaun nonsense, and I have no intention of apologising for that.

“There is a rightful place for sentimentality, but it will not help contribute to the cultural, economic, and political wellbeing of our two countries.”

Mr Daly said seven TDs and senators from across the political spectrum have signed the letter requesting Ms Vargo to present the Foreign Affairs Committee with a “value for money” report on her organisation.

Ms Vargo said she did not expect to be asked to appear before the committee.