The new US ambassador to Ireland, Dick Egan - who arrived here with his wife Maureen at the end of the week and will present his credentials to the President, Mrs McAleese, on Monday - threw a most lavish party last week at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston to celebrate his swearing in by White House Chief of Staff Andrew H Card Jr. The MC was the president of the University of Massachusetts, William Bulger, who sang an Irish song. It augurs well for Egan's term of office here.
George W. Bush's appointment of the billionaire co-founder of the data-storage company, EMC Corp, has not been entirely without controversy.
He passed the ratification hearings by the US Senate last month amid revelations of youthful indiscretions during military service (nothing new there) and news reports that he was fined by the Federal Election Commission for making excessive political donations. Senator Chris Dodd, a leading democratic member of the Friends of Ireland, suggested that when campaign contributions were excessive, it appeared that ambassadorial positions were open to a bidding process.
There was also speculation that Senator Edward Kennedy would oppose the appointment, but in the end he backed the nomination. However, neither Kennedy nor his sister, former ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, attended the party. But then, differences between Democrats and Republicans are always greatest in their own backyard. Former ambassador and Republican Margaret Heckler was there.
The new ambassador's grandparents emigrated from Meath/Westmeath and Maureen Egan's parents are Fitzgeralds from Co Cork.