Sir, – It is breathtaking to hear Taoiseach Micheál Martin say there is an open invitation to US president Donald Trump to visit Ireland. A man like Trump has brought nothing but death and destruction to the Middle East, supported and armed Israel’s genocide in Palestine, Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and the war on the people of Iran.
Martin’s blinkered comments seem to normalise Trump, a man completely without empathy or a humanitarian bone in his body. What is Martingoing to say to Trump in the White House?
Probably nothing because he only seems concerned about the business links between the two countries. He is being consistent in his tepid comments, avoiding any issues like the war with Iran and Ireland’s stated position of the fact the war breaks international law, ignores the UN charter and causes untold death and suffering, with Trump and Netanyahu in Israel having a free hand to do anything they like in Palestine, Lebanon and Iran.
Are we as a nation to be represented by our Taoiseach’s obvious agenda not to rock the boat with Trump? I can’t imagine what he’s going to say in the White House – invite him to Ireland? If he does we can hold our heads in shame. – Yours, etc,
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KEVIN BYRNE,
Bantry,
Co Cork.
Sir, – As reported by Pat Leahy, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has stated that Shannon Airport is not being used to assist the US war effort in Iran, but admitted it was difficult to “intervene” or “investigate” if weapons and supplies for the US military are being transported through Irish airspace (“Shannon not used to assist war in Iran, says Taoiseach”, March 16th).
In other words, despite his assertion, Martin admits he does not know, and is not minded to investigate.
Martin also trotted out the now tired bromide regarding the Irish Government’s commitment to international law and “the international rules based order”. But again, he has no opinion on the legality of the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, despite clear breaches of the UN charter.
Martin showed no such reticence in condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and has continued to be a vocal critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Supporters of the Government can argue that the US is vital to the Irish economy, unlike Russia, and we cannot afford to antagonise Trump. But this begs the question if there are any red lines for Martin? The evidence to date suggests there are not.
Martin will supplicate himself before Trump at the White House on St Patrick’s Day, bowl of shamrock in hand. And we may be rest assured that whatever he says, he’ll say nothing. – Yours, etc,
TOMAS MCBRIDE,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.
Sir, – An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, states that “we haven’t any strong evidence” that US war material is being transported through Irish airspace. However, he admits that the capacity to investigate is “challenging and problematic”. Surely his response would be more accurate if he simply said he “doesn’t know and has no way of knowing”. The “unknown unknown”, as the former United States secretary of defence, the late Donald Rumsfeld, phrased it.
The succinct European equivalent is, of course, Manuel’s catchphrase in Fawlty Towers: “I know nothing”. – Yours, etc,
BEN MCCABE,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – Today’s St Patrick’s Day trip to Washington is more than ceremony; it is Ireland’s moment on the world stage. Rarely does a small nation receive such guaranteed access to a superpower, yet the challenge is to wield it wisely. A careful balance must be struck between courtesy and assertiveness, between public gestures and private persuasion.
Global diplomacy is increasingly shaped by unpredictability. The rules-based order that Ireland has quietly championed – through the United Nations, the International Criminal Court and multilateral climate agreements – is under pressure as never before. In that context, the Oval Office visit is not merely symbolic; it is a chance to whisper in a loud room.
Ireland’s historic strengths – dialogue, cultural resonance and a diaspora that spans boardrooms and legislatures – give it unusual reach for a country of its size. In the coming decade, that kind of nimble soft power may matter far more than military weight or economic mass. Climate, migration and international law are precisely the conversations where Ireland has earned a seat, if it chooses to occupy it.
In short, the Taoiseach’s St Patrick’s Day engagements are not mere festivity. They are a rehearsal for a new world in which subtlety, timing and cultural leverage may matter far more than size or military might. Ireland has a head start; the question is whether it will seize it, and whether the world will notice when it does. – Yours, etc,
ENDA CULLEN,
Armagh.
