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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

British take over Obama White House on St.Patrick's week -- Irish celebration pushed back to after St.Patrick's Day

Posted on Saturday, February 04, 2012 at 07:20 AM

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British Prime Minister David Cameron and President Barack Obama

Begorrah, the Brits are stealing St.Patrick’s week 2012 at the White House from under us.

President Obama just announced an official visit and a state dinner for British Prime Minister David Cameron and wife Samantha on March 13th and 14th on St.Patrick’s week this year.

This might explain how the annual Irish St Pat’s celebration at the White House got bumped to after St.Patrick’s day, on the 20th of March to be precise, when the green bunting has long been taken down.

We were told originally it was because St.Patrick’s Day was on a Saturday and the Congress would not be in session etc. so the event at the White House was moved to Tuesday with the American Ireland Fund Gala Washington dinner set for Monday the 19th.

We thought it was a little strange, but being the compliant Paddies we are, we accepted the somewhat strange arrangements at face value.
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We all know it is stale beer celebrating St.Patrick’s Day after the fact, but we just went with the flow.

But this freshly arrived press release shows the Brits moved right in on our celebrated week.

"President Obama and the First Lady will welcome Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and his wife, Samantha Cameron, to the White House for an Official Visit with a State Dinner on March 13-14, 2012. The visit will highlight the fundamental importance of the U.S.-UK special relationship and the depth of the friendship between the American people and the people of the United Kingdom, as well as the strong personal bond that has developed between the two leaders and their families.

"It will also be an opportunity to recall the valor and sacrifice of the U.S. and British armed forces and their long tradition of standing shoulder-to-shoulder beside each other in defense of our liberties and shared values.

"The visit will underscore the strength of our economic links, which contribute to millions of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. The Prime Minister’s visit will reciprocate the gracious hospitality shown to the President and Mrs. Obama by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Mr. and Mrs. Cameron, and the British people during the State Visit that was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in May 2011.”

A state visit no less and bumping the Irish from the White House St. Patrick’s Week -- score one for Davy Cameron and the boys.

How many British voters are there in American elections again? Oh never mind-- the 40 million Irish Americans know their place-- and it is not at the top table on St.Patrick’s week at the White House when the Brits come calling.

Shure we know our place now indeed.

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YoungPike | Jun 20, 2012, 01:01 PM EDT

Too many Irish-Americans have their heads filled with past misdeeds. The fact of the matter is that the UK is Irelands closest ally and we welcome friendly relations with the British. It has been a long time coming!

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james Harrison | Mar 11, 2012, 06:43 PM EDT

It is estimated that over 80 million Americans are of English ancestry.

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abhainn | Feb 15, 2012, 01:40 AM EST

Obama visited an obscure piss-ant little village in Ireland; he and his wife compliantly drank stout on-camera to please his hosts; he dyed the fountain on the Front Lawn of the White House green two years in a row; he always wears a green tie when taoisigh visit the White House for Saint Patrick's Day. WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT FROM HIM? You're an ungrateful and whinging moron, O'Dowd.

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abhainn | Feb 15, 2012, 01:36 AM EST

Niall O'Dowd, this is a truly pathetic and embarrassing piece of begrudging commentary. We Irish are very fortunate to have an annual "berth" at the White House and to cry in your beer like this is babyish and infantile. You embarrass me as an Irishman. Grow up.

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abhainn | Feb 13, 2012, 06:41 AM EST

Have to laugh at the many references to the 'Irish vote here and 'implications' for Obama in his re-election bid for hosting the White House reception in honor of Ireland's national day 3 days later than the actual date at the request of the speaker of the house. There is no 'Irish vote' and if there was, anyone in that electoral grouping who would punish a candidate because of a perceived 'snub' over St Patrick's Day is too dumb to vote. Novembers election will be decided on how our economy is doing. St Patrick's Day will never be a factor.

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joycean | Feb 12, 2012, 01:02 PM EST

Allan07, Elvis has a different kind of background from most Americans. Most Americans are descended from immigrants who came here relatively recently, since 1870s. As far as who is a "true American," your concept would probably only include about 20 million of the 312 million, since that is the total number of people who see themselves as "Americans." There are only about 2.5 million people who classify themselves as American Indians, although other settlers did intermarry with Indians. Elvis was from Tennessee a Southern state that was less industruialized and did not experience as much immigration as the Northeast.

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joycean | Feb 12, 2012, 12:49 PM EST

allan07, Actually, Americans may not have genes from different backgrounds, unless their ancestors have been here several generations and have inter-married people from other ethnic backgrounds. For instance, my father's parents married in this country, but came from the same small area of County Kerry, about 13 miles away from each other, so their children had no more genetic strains they would have had if their parents had stayed in Ireland. My mother's mother was born in Waterford; her father was born in Canada, but his parents were born in Galway and Cork, still all in Ireland. The problem is that your view of just how ethnically mixed Americans are doesn't take into account the fact that not all Americans have ancestors who have been in this country very long. Also, you are assuming that Americans marry outside thier ethnic group. That isn't the way it usually works. When people come to this country, they usually settle in an ethnic enclave with relatives and other people from the same area that they came from. They may stay in that enclave for many generations. For instance, Boston has Irish neighborhoods, Italian neighborhoods, a Chinese neighborhood, West Indian neighborhoods, and others.

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allan07 | Feb 11, 2012, 05:11 PM EST

As a British Citizen and also a Northern Irish citizen the best day of the year is the 12th July. Sunny weather, summer, long days, fun, banter with your mates, etc. Better than the freezing weather in March. To me the 12th of July is the best day of the year. (Better than 25th December).

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allan07 | Feb 11, 2012, 05:02 PM EST

Joycean - I made a typo i should have stated that the population of the US is 312 million. (According to wikipedia and I think it said 2012). If its 2010 or 2012 the population would not change that much in 2 years. So like I was saying that the US has every nation within its borders. So if you take a citizen of the US, he or she is 99% likely to have the genes from many different backgrounds. Take Elvis he had native Amercian blood, Scottish blood, Irish Blood, etc. So its impossible to say hes an Irish-Amercian. To simply say that is inaccurate and misleading. The true Amercian in my opinion is the native amercian who have been in the US/Canada for 4000 years. The rest are simply the johnny come lately groups. (That includes the Irish). As for celebrating St. Patrick. There are no such things as saints. As human beings we are all but sinners. So if your human your a sinner and therefore cannot be a saint. Some children believe in St. Nicholas on the 25th December. (But he not real either). However if you decide to celebrate a Frenchman called Patrick on 17th March thats your choice. Good luck with it in any event.

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allan07 | Feb 11, 2012, 04:48 PM EST

Hi Joycean. I have answered your comments of 6th Feb but these Irish Central lot censure the comments made more tightly than any third world tin pot dictatorship. They make the North Koreans seem like gentle folk. Of course I never use foul or offensive language and I always back up my points from fact. However if the background staff dont want your views expressed they cut it. In the US its the first article of the US constitution every man or woman has the right to free speech. Sadly that important fact is not recognised by Irish Central.

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gobdawpaddy | Feb 10, 2012, 11:05 AM EST

Ireland is a tiny country on the perihery of europe, of no strategic use to the United States. Of course Obama spent more time with Cameron, they have a lot more to discuss. Also, Obama exited Ireland early due to the volcanic ash cloud's proximity.

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IrelandNorth | Feb 10, 2012, 08:52 AM EST

Pres. O'Bama abbreviated his 24 hrs. visit to Ireland last Spring to go over to the UK where he stayed much longer. Would be concerned that British Taoseach David Cameron's pre-Patrick's day visit to White Hse., may be intended to signify British predominance over Irish affairs. Constitutionally inconsistent, surely? Though I like Cameron's green tie, and indicative Hibernophilia.

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IrelandNorth | Feb 10, 2012, 08:24 AM EST

Ex-leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) David Trimble, (now Lord Trimble) once humorously quipped that St. Patrick was 'a Brit', having been kidnapped by pre-Christian pagan Irish raiders to Wales and brought back to Ireland as a slave. He jokingly said he was all for St. Paddy's Day, despite being an Ulster 'Prod'. (Don't know which kind?). But alan07! Celts and Gaels are native Irish too, though not quite sure which kind I am myself. The English ascendency who settled in Ireland after colonisation referred to themselves as Anglo-Irish, i.e. hyphenated. The term 'American', (just like 'British'), is generic, and not surpsisingly qualified by specific prefixes in multi-cultural societies to celebrate cultural heritage, like 'northern-Irish' to mean Ulster-Scot in Ireland. Met a unionist man last summer in St. Stephen's Green who told me he considers himself more northern-Irish than British. So alan07! Point taken. 'Medieval' probably too harsh. I appreciate Ulster-Scot protestantism is an adverse reaction to a predecededing religious imperialism. Just think we should all become dissenters on the island of Ireland, since orthodoxy hasn't worked very well. And joycean! No sligh intended. Only being a tad defensive. Your points about European defence were informative. Cheers!

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TayandCake | Feb 07, 2012, 02:49 PM EST

Ben Ben for President =)

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Ben Ben | Feb 07, 2012, 08:37 AM EST

As an Irish Jew born in Ireland I am not taken in by this joker. He has not got all the Irish vote nor the Jewish vote I'm Irish but I am not stupid, even if the joker thinks we are.

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