Kenny to meet Obama for St Patrick's Day

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will celebrate his first St Patrick’s Day in office at The White House with US President Barack Obama as thousands throng Dublin for the world-famous parade.

Mr Kenny will have breakfast with Vice President Joe Biden before holding talks with the president where he will present him with the traditional bowl of shamrocks.

The Taoiseach, who was appointed to office on Wednesday of last week, will then attend the Speaker’s Lunch on Capitol Hill, hosted by the new speaker Republican John Boehner.

Yesterday Mr Kenny held talks with the Treasury Secretary in Washington DC where he outlined his Government’s plans for economic reform and determination to reduce the budget deficit and reform the banking system.

In total, nine members of the cabinet are setting off for worldwide engagements to mark St Patrick's Day, in a travel schedule significant pared down from that observed by previous governments.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore is in New York, Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan and Social Protection Minister Joan Burton travel to London, while Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney visits Paris and the Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton visits Germany.

Education Minister Ruairí Quinn visits Rome, while further afield, Children's Minister Frances Fitzgerald travels to Australia – including a brief visit to Christchurch in New Zealand – and Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar, who is himself of Indian parentage, travels to India.

Meanwhile at home hundreds of thousands of people will mark the national day at events in towns and villages across the country.

World boxing champion and Olympic medal hopeful Katie Taylor will lead the green army through the streets of Dublin as she takes the role of Grand Marshal in the world- famous parade, which kicks off at noon.

Over 3,000 people will take part in the three kilometre parade. For the first time ever a short story will be the inspiration behind the parade, with Brilliant by Roddy Doyle chosen for the honour.

It was chosen to honour Dublin’s designation as a Unesco City of Literature and Ireland’s leading pageant companies will interpret different chapters of the story.

Marching bands from Spain, France and the USA will woo the tens of thousands expected to line the route of the parade through central Dublin, with organisers hoping for clear sunny skies to see in the festivities.

The festival provides an estimated return of €50.5m to the economy in spending by tourists and Dubliners.

Elsewhere a series of literary, cultural and artistic events, including an open air ceili, are bringing the capital alive during the four-day St Patrick’s Festival.

The Skyfest fireworks extravaganza will be held in Wexford town on Saturday.