President Clinton prayed in the Rose Garden this week that the Irish people, inspired by St Patrick, would clinch the Northern Ireland peace process by Easter and "give us an even bigger celebration here next year". But can it get any bigger? This year's invasion of Washington by Irish politicians, from North and South, their entourages and the media circus set a new record.
The East Room in the 200-year-old White House could not cope with the 1,000 guests for the St Patrick's Day reception and, after being wined and fed, the guests were ushered to a marquee on the South Lawn for the entertainment.
Even the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, was a bit shamefaced about all this Irish freeloading and quipped: "There will be no food or drink left in the White House for a month". From the White House there was a mass movement to another marquee in the residence of the Irish Ambassador for rashers and sausages, salmon, stew and Guinness and whiskey.
The night before the American-Ireland Fund hosted a $1 million gala evening where the same cast of characters largely figured.
There had also been the pre-St Patrick's Day lunch at the British embassy; the Speaker's lunch on Capitol Hill; and the Northern Ireland Bureau's lunch in Doyle's Hotel. There had been the breakfast in the Omni Shoreham Hotel to honour the Northern Secretary of State, Dr Mo Mowlam, which also brought together the Northern Irish politicians, and there was the breakfast in the Capital Hilton where the Irish-American Democrats endorsed Vice-President Al Gore for President in 2000.
It was fascinating on a beautiful afternoon in Washington to watch the Northern Irish politicians with their wives and friends saunter up the driveway to the West Wing of the White House and casually open the door for themselves to enter the home of the most powerful leader in the world who would hug them as old friends.
HOW the ambassadors of other countries in Washington must envy this access of the Irish to the White House! And what must those Americans tourists and taxpayers who looked through the railings, and heard the bagpipes skirling as the Irish partied, think of it?
An Irish-American commentator, Mary McGrory of the Washington Post, has been observing this growing phenomenon. "This is Irish week in Washington, brogues everywhere. Irishmen from North and South flock here every spring, the way college students head for Florida beaches," she began her column this week.
"It has been the place to be since 1993 when Bill Clinton had his first come-all-ye at the White House and took up the cause of peace in Northern Ireland - an oxymoron at the time - as his cause."
Ms McGrory goes on: "The party is as therapeutic for Clinton as it is for them. He can do no wrong with the Irish. In his conduct on Ireland, he has been a role model.
"He hears only gratitude and praise. His guests repair to the Irish Embassy and chat with people they don't dare to be seen with at home. The White House has become a spa for over-stressed politicians, no question."
It must puzzle Americans why these politicians have to ask the US to solve their problems for them. But then there are 44 million Americans who claim Irish descent and who represent both the Catholic and Protestant or Scots-Irish traditions, so perhaps this is the place for the divided Northern Ireland politicians to come to for help to solve their own quarrels.
The build-up to St Patrick's Day usually features media speculation about President Clinton getting ready to come up with some magic formula or to hold the feet of the stubborn politicians to the fire. The London Times last week proclaimed in a headline: "Clinton orders Adams to give up arms" and announced that the President "is preparing to tell Gerry Adams that the IRA's blanket refusal to disarm is unacceptable and must end". Of course, Mr Adams emerged from the Oval Office angrily denying any such pressures and the President's advisers were shocked that he would be thought capable of such crude behaviour.
Jim Steinberg, adviser to the President on Northern Ireland, briefed the media after the meetings this week. "As I've told you all before, these were not negotiating sessions; the President didn't offer any specific proposals."
But "it's very informal, it's very relaxed. There's a lot of banter, but there's also a lot of sort of serious engagement. But it's certainly not at all - I mean, coming to a confessional". The thought of "ruddy, tense" David Trimble, as Mary McGrory describes him, going to confession to President Clinton makes the mind boggle.
One Belfast journalist made a last effort to pin down Mr Steinberg. Here is how it went:
Question: "Just to be crystal-clear about this, are you saying the President isn't on David Trimble's side, and he isn't on Gerry Adams's side, he's somewhere in the middle?"
Mr Steinberg: "I would say he's on everybody's side. And he's on the side of the people who made this process go forward. And I think I'd better leave on that note. (Laughter)."
To be continued next year.