Micheál Martin left his meeting with Trump unscathed, but his real test is navigating the year ahead

There is now a real fear across Ireland of damage to jobs and businesses just hours into the tariff regime

For Mr Martin, while escaping Washington DC intact was a version of a win, the real test of his second stint as Taoiseach will largely focus on how the next year is navigated.

When Taoiseach Micheál Martin left the White House just less than a month ago, there were some who breathed a sigh of relief.

Mr Martin had, the consensus went, fended off the worst of Donald Trump.