The vice-president of the United States has been criticised for ‘rallying the troops’ at Shannon Airport on Saturday when he met with US military personnel travelling to Iraq.

One flight was forced to divert to Cork Airport while others were placed in holding patterns because of restrictions associated with the departure of the jet carrying the US Vice President this morning.

US vice-president Mike Pence will be met at Shannon Airport by Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney and Mayor of Clare Councillor Cathal Crowe

THE date most closely associated with the Secret Service isn’t its founding, in 1865. It’s not 1902, when it assumed full-time protection of the president, following William McKinley’s assassination.

US vice president Dick Cheney opened a new push for political unity in Iraq on an unannounced visit today, just ahead of the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion.