Micheál Martin’s White House visit leads 41 St Patrick’s Day Government trips worldwide

Taoiseach’s US trip anchors an extensive St Patrick’s Day diplomatic programme spanning Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania

Tue, 27 Jan, 2026 - 12:50

Paul Hosford

Taoiseach Micheál Martin's visit to the White House will lead 41 St Patrick's Day visits across the globe.

Mr Martin will visit Washington DC and Philadelphia on his trip from March 14 to 18, while Tánaiste Simon Harris will visit Paris and London.

Foreign affairs minister Helen McEntee will go to Boston, enterprise minister Peter Burke will go to New York, arts minister Patrick O'Donovan heads to Savannah, Georgia, and social protection minister Dara Calleary heads to Ottawa and Toronto.

Other Cabinet members travelling include public expenditure minister Jack Chambers (Senegal and Nigeria), transport minister Darragh O'Brien (Brazil), children's minister Norma Foley (Italy and the Holy See), and education minister Hildegarde Naughton (Chile and Argentina).

Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill will go to Germany, justice minister Jim O'Callaghan will visit Greece, and higher education minister James Lawless will visit Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney.

Housing minister James Browne will go to Chicago, while agriculture minister Martin Heydon will visit San Francisco.

Chief whip Mary Butler will travel to Spain and Portugal, while super junior ministers Emer Higgins, Noel Grealish, and Sean Canney will visit Denmark and Sweden; New Zealand; and Japan and Korea, respectively.

Attorney General Rossa Fanning will travel to India.

Junior ministers will also travel to places such as the Philippines, Finland, South Africa, China, Thailand, and Vietnam.