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ALMOST A THIRD of people would be against the idea of Enda Kenny meeting Donald Trump at the White House next March for the annual Shamrock Ceremony.
According to a Claire Byrne Live/Amárach Research poll carried out for TheJournal.ie, 61% of people support the Taoiseach meeting Trump on St Patrick’s Day, after he becomes US president.
29% of people said Kenny shouldn’t meet him. 10% answered ‘don’t know’.
The Taoiseach was invited to the White House to take part in the traditional 17 March ceremony during a ten minute phone call with President-elect Trump on the day he claimed victory in the US general election.
The invitation came in spite of criticism of the controversial businessman-turned-GOP-nominee from across the Irish political establishment during his campaign for the White House.
Kenny called some of Trump’s comments “racist and dangerous” and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin asserted the businessman had given an “appalling example for how the free world should speak and articulate”.
Since the election
The Taoiseach has also spoken to Vice President-elect Mike Pence recently, later coming in for some harsh criticism online for a Tweet about the call in which he said the Republican “knows Ireland and the issues that matter to our people”.
Pence has been a consistent opponent of LGBT rights and has previously advocated so-called “conversion therapy” for gay people.
“He is very much acquainted with the issues about the country here,” Kenny said, when asked about their conversation.
He is also clear about the turnabout in our economic situation after coming through a very difficult period.
Speaking generally about the new US political landscape, in a media briefing this week, the Taoiseach said:
“It’s not a case of wringing hands here. This is a case of dealing with the reality of a new regime and a new administration taking up office in the United States. And my conversation, both with the President Elect and the Vice-President Elect, was on the basis of the relationship of this country with the United States.
And as part of that, I mentioned the traditional economic, social, historic and political links that we have; the way things have changed, from an Ireland where we relied very heavily on remittances from the United States to keep families alive here, to where Irish-owned firms now employ over 100,000 people across 50 states.
The annual Shamrock Ceremony, which has its roots in the 1950s, but evolved into a broader celebration of Irish-American relations under the Bill Clinton presidency, offers Ireland annual access to US top officials. High level trade talks usually take place during the visit, each March.
1,000 people were canvassed as part of the Claire Byrne Live/Amárach Research poll, carried out on Monday of this week.
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Or…… Two Thirds of Irish People support Enda meeting Trump. Why always concentrate on the negative and the minority?
@David Mac Shite: in other news the number of people in Ireland who believe levitation is possible while meditating has increased by 50% over the past 24 hours, as a second person started to believe it.
Pedantic Pat here. That would be a 100% increase.
Almost a third if people don’t support democratic elections
Alternate headline. Almost a third of people don’t understand diplomacy.
Very good!
But they understand what racism is
Except Trump got more black vote than mccain and Romney and couldn’t have won florida and hence won overall without Latino votes.
If they understand what racism is surly the same people don’t want Enda as leader of this Country as he’s a racist himself..
If I were Trump I would not meet Kenny
@Noel: You go it in one. I don’t think that Trump should be meeting Kenny. It can only give him a bad name!
@Charley Brady: “It can only give Trump a bad name” -ok.
@Francis Mc Carthy: Thanks! Exactly what I meant.
He should tell Kenny to feck off with his bowl of weeds on Saint Patrick’s Day and get working on accommodating the 50k Irish illegal trespassers in the US who shall be returning home shortly.
Kenny embarasses me as an Irish person. We didn’t elect him and he doesn’t represent anyone I know.
Thankfully that third are not running the country
When will this stupid crap stop do you think that Donald Trump gives a dam whether Enda Kenny brings a bowl of shamrock to the White House on Paddy day or not . Ire is a very small fish in a very big bowl and don’t forget we need the USA a lot more then they will ever need us . Just think for one min if 50,000 illegals were sent home tomorrow what would Enda do with them after all he said their was plenty of work here for them (lies) the dole office would be full.
Be rare enough to get two bigger spas together in the one place.
@Phil Swan: You mean when him and Farage got their little get-together?
Doubtful it will be enda visiting this March.
Edna plans on meeting the pope in 2018 so it looks like the twit be be around a little longer than we had hoped for
At least trump won his election BELLENDA is not wanted
Ah mick do you require assistance with interpreting results of last general election?? I’m not fan of kennys but technically they won the election
Kenny may not be around…if the gardai do not accept the peanuts offered.. then he is gone along with the rest of the faciest…… .
The obvious question Trump will ask Enda Kenny will be did Clare County Council build the wall around Trumps golf complex yet!!
@Chris Kirk:and the answer will be yes. The Irish will build a wall and pay for it. Unlike those Mexicans
As long as Trump doesn’t give him a briefcase to mind..be grand
So Enda gets the heave and our new leader Leo V. gets to go meet the most homophobic leadership in the western world. Awkward!
Let’s be honest. He is going to the US not Uganda or Iran or Saudi Arabia. Trump wouldn’t even be close to them.
The American people have voted so get over it . Like English voted brevity. Irish voted keep the Senate
i would say 50% would be more like it, as they would be embarrassed to see our great leader kenny getting a pat of the head from the new president of america, the lefties and snowflakes need to move on america voted for trumph!!
What about a headline saying “Should Trump meet a fantasy storyteller?”
Now the journal.ie blocking my reply to agree to “unitedpeople 1 hour ago #2 3
What about a headline saying “Should Trump meet a fantasy storyteller?”
But posted it to facebook anyways
Typical. Attack the most vulnerable in our society. Get ready to lose viewers in their thousands.
13,000 people voted for Kenny .. Ireland Population approx 4,600,000
He dose not represent the People of Ireland anyways.
Claire Byrne polls on the RTE propaganda machine are bullsh**e !!
Wishful thinking, no one asked me. I can find no one in Cavan who dislikes Trump. The revulsion was out corrupt media at its best
Listen up Liberians trump is the boss so get used to it thers more to come your liberal ways destroyed europe
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