Speech by Minister Helen McEntee, on the occasion of St Patrick’s Day Dinner at JFK Presidential Library and Museum, Boston - 17 March 2026

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Ambassador Kennedy,

Senator Kirk,

Representatives,

Distinguished guests,

Friends of Ireland,

I am delighted to be in Boston and to be marking St Patrick’s Day with you this evening, in this most Irish of US cities. I could not think of a better way to finish what has been a truly wonderful day, here at the JFK Presidential Library.

And it is extra special to be in Boston this St Patrick’s Day, on the 250th anniversary of Evacuation Day, a defining moment in the early stages of the American War of Independence.

Nearly half of the Continental Army is estimated to have been of Irish birth or descent. Recognising the significance of the date for so many of his troops, General George Washington’s password to get to Dorchester Heights on Evacuation Day was ‘Boston’, and the countersign was apparently ‘St. Patrick’.

And I wonder of those Irish-born or of Irish heritage – could they ever have imagined that 250 years later Ireland and the United States would be celebrating such a strong partnership as two independent nations?

As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, we are reminded just how deeply Irish people were woven into the story of America’s beginnings.

Take for instance Lydia Darragh from Dublin, who was an important intelligence asset for the Continental Army, warning of impending British attacks.

Or General Henry Knox, hero of Evacuation Day, born to Ulster-Scots parents who had emigrated from Derry.

Or Matthew Thornton, James Smith and George Taylor – the three Irish-born signatories of the Declaration of Independence.

Of the Irish and Scots-Irish immigrants, who fought for America’s independence believed deeply in the values espoused in the Declaration of Independence – in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We think also of the many Irish women and men that made the journey across the Atlantic since that Declaration. Some were inspired by the ideals of America; for others, it was a more existential matter of survival. This country proved to be a generous new home for them, full of possibility and promise.

They, in turn, helped to construct that new home, expanding railroads and reshaping skylines. They served, protected, cared, and taught – in police departments, fire stations, hospitals and public schools across the country.

Some rose to assume the highest office in the land, with no fewer than 23 U.S. Presidents with Irish heritage, including, of course, President John F. Kennedy.

The story of the Kennedy family will of course be intimately familiar to all in this room.

It is nevertheless important to remind each generation of that remarkable story – from a young couple arriving in Boston from New Ross in 1849, fleeing the Great Famine, to the 35th President of the United States, in three generations. It reflects the enduring legacy of the contribution made by Irish immigrants to this country.

Those Irish communities worked hard and thrived in their new home, but they also gave back.

President Kennedy’s commitment to Ireland has been mirrored in the work of so many Irish American political leaders. Those commitments helped us achieve peace on our island.

Tonight, I particularly think of Senator Edward Kennedy, who played a pivotal role in supporting the cause of peace in Ireland; encouraging successive US Administrations to become engaged, when it wasn’t always fashionable or easy to do so. Of Bostonian Speaker Tip O’Neill, who co-founded the International Fund for Ireland in 1986, securing bipartisan support under President Reagan.

The Good Friday Agreement of course stands as one of the great diplomatic achievements of the US, Irish and British governments, along with the political parties in Northern Ireland. I am pleased that we are joined this evening by UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Matthew Patrick.

Here again, the Kennedy family played their part – through the work of Jean Kennedy Smith as U.S. Ambassador to Ireland between 1993 and 1998, and more recently, through Joe Kennedy’s role as Special Envoy to Northern Ireland under President Biden.

So I don’t need to tell anyone in this room the significance we attach to the Ireland-U.S. relationship. Nor do I need to explain why the path of diplomacy is the path we will always choose over violence.

As both Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Minister for Defence, I’ve spent much of my time in the last three weeks on the Middle East.

I’ve spoken to Foreign Ministers from across the region; spent many hours in intensive discussions with my European counterparts; overseen our consular crisis centre, which has been providing assistance on a 24/7 basis to the 27,000 Irish citizens in the Gulf region; and monitored the security of our peacekeepers in the UNIFIL mission in southern Lebanon, right at the heart of some of most intense conflict.

All of you in this room know Ireland. So you will understand our approach to this. Our deep concern at the death and destruction we have witnessed across the region and well before the past two weeks; at the rapid escalation of conflict, impacting so many countries.

I’ve called, clearly and consistently, for de-escalation. For an end to the conflict, and a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. For the UN Charter and international law to be upheld and respected.

History has taught us, time and time again, that negotiation is the only way to achieve a durable peace – be that in the Middle East, or anywhere else.

Without dialogue, without negotiation, without a global multilateral system and international law, our challenges are even more formidable.

On our own island, we know that divisions and violence that once seemed impossible to resolve can give way to something better. The journey is never easy, never perfect – but dialogue remains the only path forward.

So tonight, I want to echo the words of President John F Kennedy’s address to the UN General Assembly in 1961 - “the great question which confronted this body in 1945 is still before us: whether man's cherished hopes for progress and peace are to be destroyed by terror and disruption, whether the "foul winds of war" can be tamed in time to free the cooling winds of reason, and whether the pledges of our Charter are to be fulfilled or defied - pledges to secure peace, progress, human rights and world law”.

Those words still resonate today.

Today, I was struck by something said to me by a Representative here. They said to me “it’s great you’re here given everything that’s going on”. Now more than ever, it’s important to show up. Now is the time to work on what we can achieve together.

It is no secret that Ireland has argued against the imposition of U.S tariffs on EU goods. You can be sure we’ll keep on championing free trade, open economies and economic partnerships. You will know that the US is Ireland’s largest investment partner. But that is a two way story.

American companies have long seen Ireland as a trusted partner in Europe. US investment has helped to transform Ireland, from a small island on the edge of Europe into one of the world’s most successful economies.

Fewer people know that this story is reciprocal.

Today, Ireland is fifth-largest source of foreign direct investment into the US, with investment by Irish companies valued at $390 billion.

Ladies and Gentlemen

On the economic side, most of you will know that the US is Ireland’s largest investment partner.

American companies have long seen Ireland as a trusted partner in Europe. US investment has helped to transform Ireland, from a small island on the edge of Europe into one of the world’s most successful economies.

Fewer people know that this story is reciprocal.

Today, Ireland is fifth-largest source of foreign direct investment into the US, with investment by Irish companies valued at $390 billion.

200,000 American men and women in this country go to work every morning in 800 Irish-owned companies, across all 50 States.

Of course, we are not immune to bumps along the road. I have no doubt there will be many more.

But we remain hugely ambitious for our relationship with this country. I made the decision at the end of last year to reinforce Team Ireland in the US, adding new staff and expertise to our amazing new Embassy premises in Washington and to our Consulates General.

You can see this ambition here in Boston.

Over the past few days, I’ve been meeting Irish life sciences and med tech companies. They’ve chosen Boston as their U.S. launch pad, because they can see the energy and dynamism of this great city. And Ireland’s pro-business environment, skilled workforce and EU market access makes us a compelling location for Boston’s life sciences companies, including Boston Scientific and Biogen.

Our ties are about much more than economics, of course. They span across culture, education, sports, and so much more.

Yesterday morning, I launched Ireland’s new International Sports Diplomacy Strategy, at the iconic Fenway Park – where else to launch such a strategy but in the sports-obsessed city of Boston.

This will build on the connection and partnership that sports can bring. This is perhaps best captured in the ethos of the ever-expanding global network of GAA clubs, including in Boston; I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit the GAA grounds at Canton on Sunday.

We’re ambitious to further build our strong sporting partnership with the US; through the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, hosted every year in Dublin; and the NFL, where we had the joy of hosting the Steelers - Vikings game in Croke Park last year; through to the tens of thousands of Americans who enjoy our world class golf courses each year.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Let me finish by reflecting on the incredible diversity of our diaspora. The last quarter of a millennium has brought multiple waves of emigration from Ireland to the United States. Each bringing something new to these shores.

The Ulster Presbyterians who left Ireland in the 18th Century.

The famine exiles, mostly Irish-speaking Catholics, from rural Munster and Connaught.

The economic migrants of the second half of the twentieth century.

Right up to those emigrating today. Smaller in number but bringing that same commitment that the Irish always have; to make the most of new opportunities, to contribute.

There are different ways in which we connect to our shared home, which itself is constantly evolving. We know the consequences of narrow and contested conceptions of home.

That’s why, as part of the Shared Island programme, we announced last year a new “Shared Home Place” initiative, encouraging communities across the island of Ireland to explore their shared heritage and culture.

Because the story of Ireland is not a single story.

It is made up of many traditions – Irish, British, Anglo-Irish, and Ulster Scots, and the many new communities that now call Ireland home.

Here in Boston, you know better than anywhere, that the Irish emigrant experience has been central to that.

As we ask communities on the island of Ireland what a Shared Home Place means to them, we are also asking that question of our communities overseas.

And that is why this evening, I am delighted to launch a new ‘Shared Home Place Diaspora Voices Initiative’.

Through our Embassies and Consulates, this Initiative will support projects exploring how diaspora communities connect with Ireland’s past, present and future.

It will bring a distinctive perspective to the exploration of our island’s past, present and future. I’m excited to see what ideas and challenges and new thinking that will emerge from our communities across the globe.

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me finish with the Latin words on the Great Seal of the United States, designed by Derry-born Charles Thomson: ‘E Pluribus Unum’, translating to ‘out of many, one’.

It is only out of the many stories of Ireland as a shared home place that we arrive at a narrative that is complete.

The signatories of the Declaration of Independence assembled 250 years ago, in their belief of a shared home built on common values.

A quarter of a millennium later, we share their ambition and their optimism for the future.

Beannachtaí na Féile Padraig oraibh agus go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.