Romney’s VP choice sparks Irish interest

Irish eyes will take even more of an interest in the upcoming US presidential race following the news that Irish-American Paul Ryan will be Republican hopeful Mitt Romney’s running mate.

Mr Romney’s pick, cast as a bold move by his party, is expected to transform the presidential race less than three months before November’s election, and the two men electrified crowds as they took to the stump.

The campaign also aims to sharply shift debate away from Mr Romney’s business record, taxes and image as an out-of-touch multimillionaire investor and toward larger issues such as how to revitalise the nation’s sputtering economy.