The day began with a cringe-worthy, mildly offensive Irish cliche in front of a room-full of Irish people, and it all went downhill from there.
“Top of the morning,” said Vice President Pence, as he hosted Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny at his residence for breakfast Thursday.
Really? The reaction by Irish on social media was palpable.
“Literally just shouted ‘NOBODY SAYS THAT’ at the TV,” a journalist in Ireland tweeted. “I’ve literally only ever heard that said by Americans,” another person said.
“How do all the Irish people not just go, ‘Nope,’ and leave the room?” tweeted another.
Ireland’s leader was in Washington for a series of events in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, including breakfast with the vice president, a luncheon at the U.S. Capitol, a one-on-one meeting with President Trump and a long-standing annual ceremony in which the U.S. president is presented with a bowl of shamrocks.
Ireland’s Prime Minister Enda Kenny, rights, presents a traditional gift of a bowl of shamrocks to President Trump at the White House. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Long before the festivities began, the visit was controversial in Ireland. Almost 40,000 people signed a petition titled “Shamrock for Trump: Not in my name” demanding that Kenny cancel the trip.
During the U.S. presidential campaign, Kenny criticized Trump for his “racist and dangerous” language. Even so, the Irish leader followed through with the annual tradition on Thursday, prompting his staff and more than 20 Irish reporters to fly eight hours across the Atlantic to listen to the “Taoiseach deliver his well-polished son of the sainted shamrock routine along the east coast of America,” as the Irish Times phrased it (Taoiseach, pronounced, TEE-shock or TEE-shuhck, is the Irish language title of the prime minister.)
And as the day went on, the awkward and at times embarrassing Irish cultural references from Washington politicians were nearly as bountiful as their green neck ties.
[Three Irish musicians say ‘No, Nay, Never’ to White House on St. Patrick’s Day]
At the luncheon, Trump shared what he claimed was an “Irish proverb.”
“As we stand together with our Irish friends, I’m reminded of an Irish proverb — and this is a good one, this is one I like, I’ve heard it for many, many years and I love it,” Trump said. “Always remember to forget the friends that proved untrue, but never forget to remember those that have stuck by you.”
