An Tánaiste Micheál Martin TD

Department of Foreign Affairs and Department for Defence

100 years ago, in 1924, newly independent Ireland began its first formal diplomatic relationship when Timothy Smiddy presented his credentials to President Calvin Coolidge. Smiddy’s appointment as the diplomatic representative in the United States of America of what was then the Irish Free State was an important demonstration of the new State’s existence. A century later, Ireland has over 100 diplomatic missions worldwide.

That the US was the first place to which Ireland appointed a career diplomat was an expression of the key role the US plays in the Irish imagination. We are two countries intertwined by family, history and affection, united by the Atlantic. That relationship is today one of shared values on the international stage, deep cultural appreciation and mutually reinforcing economic benefits.

As we mark this important 100-year milestone in our relationship with the US over 2024, we can look to the future to imagine ways for the US and Ireland to work together to deepen our shared commitment to human development, peace and prosperity. The Government continues to prioritise strong bilateral relations with the United States. We are now four years into Ireland’s ambitious Strategy for the US and Canada 2019 - 2025. With the opening of our newest Consulate General in Miami last year, our diplomatic reach now extends to nine missions across the US, further bolstered by seventeen State Agency offices in the United States.

Ireland sits at the heart of the European Union and more than just an economic gateway into Europe for the United States. We are staunch and vocal supporters of EU values: advocates for democracy, human rights and dignity, proponents of freedom and equality, and with the upmost respect and adherence to the rule of law. The EU-US Summit in October 2023 was held at an important juncture in the transatlantic partnership, and provided an opportunity to consolidate the enhanced cooperation and dialogue evident in the last two years.

Ireland is committed to ensuring the best possible transatlantic relationship, working with our European and US colleagues to promote the common values of peace, freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

We have had much to celebrate across the breadth of our bilateral relationship in the last twelve months, the highlight being President Joe Biden’s visit to Ireland in April of last year. This significant visit saw President Biden tour the island, and receive a warm welcome from the Irish people, most especially in his ancestral homelands of Louth and Mayo.

We also welcomed Joseph Kennedy III’s appointment as US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs, which was an important and welcome sign of the enduring commitment of the United States to sustaining peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. I look forward to working closely with Special Envoy Kennedy in the year ahead. We share the conviction that building prosperity and investment is part of how we realise the brighter, shared future envisioned by the Good Friday Agreement.

For the mutual benefit of US investors and the people of this island, we want to see a thriving all-island economy, which maximises the peace dividend of the Good Friday Agreement and capitalises on the creativity and talent of communities right across the island of Ireland.

The island of Ireland has unique advantages and characteristics that have long been a draw for international investors, especially from the US. Conversely, the US is a well-established destination for the Irish, in the early days it was economic migration but, of late, a significant destination for Irish investment abroad. Latest data shows that Irish investment abroad increased €1,288bn, 22% of which is to the United States.

These profound connections are being bolstered by new direct air connectivity from Ireland to the United States being added again this year. Tourism Ireland estimate that there will be a quarter of a million seats on 17 direct routes between the US and Ireland in the summer of 2024.

Our mutually beneficial economic and trade relationship owes much to the leadership of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland and its members. I congratulate all of you for your continued role in building Ireland’s economic prosperity. After a decade at the helm, I would like to add my thanks to Mark Redmond for his significant contribution as Chief Executive of AmCham and to wish him well in the future. I would also like to congratulate incoming CEO Paul Sweetman and wish him well in the role.

All of this activity, from the strong diplomatic relations to the thriving and mutually-beneficial business partnership to the incredible people-to-people links makes me excited for what another century of strong relations between Ireland and the United States might hold.