THE TAOISEACH begins his visit to the United States tomorrow in Dickson City, Pennsylvania, where he will address the all-male annual St Patrick's Day dinner of the Friendly Sons of St Patrick.
Congressman Chris Carney told The Irish Times that the Friendly Sons of St Patrick represented an important link with the Irish heritage that shaped Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley.
"It's a long-standing organisation that I think was basically organised to remember and embrace the Irish heritage of the region," he said.
"It has expanded to include many people who may have Italian or Polish last names whose mothers were Irish. The Lackawanna Valley, which is actually the heart of this whole organisation, is driven by the influence of Ireland and the Catholic Church to a large degree and its Irish heritage."
Mr Carney, who is a Democrat, said that although he was not completely comfortable with the fact that tomorrow's dinner was an all-male event, it was not a big issue.
"It's part of the heritage and the tradition of the region and frankly there has not been a large hue and cry among the female population in the region to change. The women have their own event.
"This year it will be the day after the Taoiseach's visit but ordinarily it's at the same time as the men's event," Mr Carney added. "It may appear a little archaic but it's part of the tradition of the region."
The North's Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie, visited New York's Harlem district yesterday to exchange ideas with city officials about providing affordable housing.
"In Harlem, people are trying to move away from simply pouring public money into building and renovating properties. They are seeking to be more imaginative in the ways they finance social and affordable housing and have developed innovative community revitalisation initiatives that promote private investment and productive public-private partnerships," she said.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny is due to attend a St Patrick's Day ball this evening with London mayor Ken Livingstone at the Dorchester Hotel.
