Elaine Loughlin: Schedule shenanigans help Taoiseach dodge small talk

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar meeting with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington DC, during visit to the US as part of the St Patrick's Day itinerary. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Corralled by a group of advisers who did their best to keep both the media and the general public away from their man, the Taoiseach managed to avoid much of the usual pressing of the flesh during his St Patrick’s trip.

In every administration, political advisers are appointed to steer their protégé on the right path. They provide counsel, act as gamekeepers, and at times even become a physical buffer between the politician and the press.