Paul Hosford: Boycott of White House allows Sinn Féin to put an optimistic spin on the North

The boycott of the Shamrock Ceremony does also allow the party show that it is set apart from Fianna Fáil

The absence of Sinn Féin, the SDLP and Alliance from the Shamrock Ceremony in the East Room of the White House yesterday appeared not to trouble president Donald Trump. Photo: AP/Alex Brandon

Amid all of the clamouring and questioning of Donald Trump in the Oval Office, it was clear that much of the Irish coverage would focus on the president's targeting of our economy.

That, as journalists would say, was "the line".