Mitt Romney meets Irish Prime MInister Enda Kenny for talks

JAMES O'SHEA,

IrishCentral.com Staff

Published Saturday, July 28, 2012, 9:14 AM

Updated Saturday, July 28, 2012, 9:14 AM

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Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney met with Ireland’s Prime Minister Enda Kenny at the Irish Embassy in London on Friday.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney met with Ireland’s Prime Minister Enda Kenny at the Irish Embassy in London on Friday.

Both men are attending the Olympics. Romney was delayed in traffic going to the meeting and walked the last half of the journey.

The men met after Romney's foreign policy advisor Mitchell Reiss, former US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, requested the meeting.

The Irish Times reported that Kenny pointed out that Ireland’s role will be even greater in Europe for the six months of 2013 when they will hold the EU presidency.

The men also discussed US/Irish relationships.

Later Kenny visited Irish athletes at the games and praised the British preparations.

“It will prove to be an outstanding Olympics,” he said.

“I wish the people of London and of Britain very well in this. I know that they will make the athletes from all over the world exceptionally welcome. I hope that the weather will be kind and suitable. I hope that there are some outstanding events and that off the last bend we’ll see the green singlet come through in whatever sport on a number of occasions.”

“For me, as someone who is interested in sport anyway, for these athletes to put on an Irish singlet must be a pinnacle of their sporting careers. And to compete to win offers the possibility of making a dream come true. I wish them the very best of behalf of the people of our country. They’ll do us proud,” he went on.

“In many ways, this is not unlike politics. You have to believe in yourself and you have to have a sense of conviction and courage,” he added.

Nster.com

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peterson | Jul 30, 2012, 07:51 PM EDT

Say what you want-- Romney is still a better choice than King Obama !

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IrelandNorth | Jul 30, 2012, 06:35 AM EDT

Taoiseach Ó Cionnaith wasn't as positive about the 2011 Irish presidential campaign, where Fine Gael were first off the blocks in the negative campaigning [p]olympics. First there was the discovery of Sen Norris's Israeli clemency letters before they ran for the cover of the summer Dail recess. Then there was the shameful use of a deceased Irish Army private's son, caring more about political gain than the sanctity of his father's memory. Then there was the black propaganda against the Sinn Fein candidate's election adversely affecting US investment in Ireland, (vehemently denied by Irish-American millionaire philanthropist Chuck Feeney - who is now suspending his "Giving-While-Living" funding in Ireland by 2016, the centenary of the 1916 Rising!) (Hmmm! Wonder if the FG/Lab Govt projections became a self-fulfilling prophesy, causing them to shoot themselves and the Not-For-Profit sector in the foot.) Hoisted with their own petard?

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seanomelb | Jul 29, 2012, 06:28 PM EDT

A west brit and a declared Anglo,both cut from the same cloth. A meeting of challenged minds.

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seanaci | Jul 29, 2012, 02:14 PM EDT

I hope Enda invited Mitt and Ann to attend Goffs in the hopes of persuading him, when he becomes President, to order the FDA to approve Irish thoroughbreds to be prescribed for all MS patients in the US and to be covered by Medicare, the VA and Medicaid. What a boost that would be for our bloodstock industry.

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CitizenWhy | Jul 29, 2012, 12:00 PM EDT

Given Ireland's history, and its centuries of control by Anglo-Saxons, I wonder if Romney's aide includes the Irish in his notion of Anglo-Saxon superiority.

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SAirish | Jul 28, 2012, 12:08 PM EDT

At least Enda has some good positive comments to make about the Olympics. Mitt should follow his example. I noticed last night that there was a bigger than normal cheer for the Irish team in the stadium. The BBC commentators remarked on this.

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Seanmor | Jul 28, 2012, 11:01 AM EDT

Enda Kenny's official title is Taoiseach, not Prime Minister. The 6:30 PM C.B.S. news yesterday correctly called him Taoiseasch Kenny. While discussing U.S.-Irish relationships, I hope that emigrants from all parts of Ireland - nor only those from Kenny's jurisdiction - were includd. The Kenny-Romney meeting ws held in London, the city of my birth, but my 'nationality' applies to "the whole [Irs] nation and all its parts".

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