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Summit looks a go

February 17, 2011

By Staff Reporter

Questions have been raised in recent days as to whether or not the annual White House meeting between the taoiseach and American president will take place this year. But prospects were improving Tuesday with indications from the Irish embassy in Washington that it was gearing up for a visit by Brian Cowen to President Barack Obama.
The Obama White House has been active on numerous fronts since the inauguration and as of presstime there was no formal announcement from the administration that Cowen is an expected visitor on or around St. Patrick’s Day.
It should, however, come as no surprise that St. Patrick celebrations have not exactly been high on Obama’s radar, or that of his advisors. And this has raised doubt and questions in Dublin.
A report in the Irish Independent stated that Cowen not yet received a formal invitation to the White House to make the traditional shamrock presentation.
“We’ve had no indication as yet that there will be any change to various arrangements which have become established in recent times. But I shouldn’t anticipate agreement until it’s forthcoming officially,” Cowen said in the D_il.
Cowen will be in the U.S. for St. Patrick’s Day one way or another with stops in New York and the nation’s capital. Asked if he would be at the White with a Waterford Crystal bowl full of shamrock, Cowen said in part: “Obviously, no detailed arrangements have yet been agreed regarding the visit. It is my hope to visit Washington and to meet various interests there, similar to what predecessors have done in the past.”
A White House official told the Irish Echo Tuesday that the administration was “working out details” but had nothing to formally announce at this time regarding St. Patrick’s Day.
What is already anticipated is that Brian Cowen will arrive here and attend the annual St. Patrick’s Day luncheon hosted by the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, this presumably followed by the shamrock ceremony at the White House.
Staff on Capitol Hill said this week they still do not have an answer as to whether President Obama will also attend the Speaker’s luncheon, although most believe he will make the trek that has been a tradition since President Ronald Reagan dined as a guest of Speaker Tip O’Neill.
There have also been serious efforts to entice President Obama to attend the American Ireland Fund’s annual gala on March 16th. The dinner could be the scene of the announcement of Pittsburgh Steelers owner, Dan Rooney, as the new U.S. Ambassador to Ireland.
Rooney is set to be honored at the dinner in addition to Congressman Joe Crowley (D-NY) and Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-CA). The general consensus is that if Rooney wants to be the next ambassador, the post is his for the
accepting. If Rooney decides to accept the ambassadorship, it is anticipated that President Obama will then make an appearance at the AIF dinner.
Meanwhile, the taoiseach is expected to meet with the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform during his visit to discuss the prospects for immigration reform and the plight of the undocumented Irish.
Meanwhile, ILIR announced Tuesday that San Francisco-based Bart Murphy is taking over as chairman of the group. Murphy, who sits on the board of the American Ireland Fund and is the chairman of the coalition of Irish Immigration Centers umbrella group, is an ILIR board founding member.
He will be taking over from current ILIR chairman, Niall O’Dowd who will remain a member of the advisory board.

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