Ireland's Taoiseach Micheál Martin is set to meet with Governor of New York Kathy Hochul and Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani while in New York this week during the UN General Assembly.
The New York meetings come less than two weeks after Martin met with US President Donald Trump in Dublin on September 12.
From Ireland, Trump made international headlines when he replied to a question about Irish unity, saying he thinks it would be "a fantastic thing."
US President Donald Trump has said he would "love to see" a "unified" Ireland.
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) September 12, 2026
Speaking to journalists at Farmleigh House in Dublin's Phoenix Park, he said unification was "going to happen eventually".#trump #donaltrump #ireland pic.twitter.com/VVZyXVtKKA
While the question of Irish unity continually bubbles in Irish politics and media, Trump's candid stance, regarded by some as "off-the-cuff," thrust it back into international media, if even only briefly.
With Taoiseach Micheál Martin in New York this week, where he is due to meet with international leaders as well as New York officials amidst the United Nations General Assembly, only time will tell if the global media will again pounce on the question of Irish unity.
But what do the Mayor and Governor think about Irish unity?
Earlier this year, Mayor Mamdani sidestepped a question about whether he supports a united Ireland.
"I got to be honest, I haven't thought enough on that question," the Mayor admitted the day before St. Patrick's Day, before adding that it is a "privilege" to "lead a city where Irish Americans have played such a critical role."
Zohran Mamdani on whether he supports a united Ireland:
"I gotta be honest, I haven't thought enough on that question." pic.twitter.com/t9bxXybe61
— Timmy Facciola (@TimmyFacciola_) March 16, 2026
The following day, at the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade, the Mayor offered a more thought-out response: "There's always more to learn, but I can tell you as someone who believes deeply in the principle of self-determination that I think it should also be extended to the Irish.
"I think when it comes to the future of Ireland, the best people to listen to are the Irish."
Governor Hochul, the granddaughter of immigrants from Co Kerry, offered a briefer response when asked on St. Patrick's Day if she supports a united Ireland: “Indeed, I do.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Irish unity
The Taoiseach, meanwhile, has a more nuanced stance on Irish unity.
Speaking in the Dáil last week, the Taoiseach said that Irish unity, for him and his party Fianna Fáil, "is not a slogan, is not a campaign, it is a very, very precious aspiration that has informed the foundation of my party and sustains us to this day."
He continued: "I think what unity is about is about building trust. It's opening understanding with those who don't share our aspiration.
"It means grinding out the hard yards of reconciliation. I do not dismiss reconciliation ... it is important that we work at it and do it. It means acknowledging and atoning for wrong done in the past. That has not been done yet. The only people doing that are state actors.
"The British and Irish Governments, we've had the inquiries, but others have not come to the table in terms of atoning and saying what you did was wrong and so on. That has to happen.
"It means developing our shared understanding of what it means to live on this island and how we share it into the future, and sometimes it means absorbing and ignoring the abuse of those who prefer to use it as a slogan."
He continued: "I support unity. I am satisfied with the work we are doing to develop the potential for unity on this island."
Taoiseach's priorities in New York
Not surprisingly, Irish unity is not one of the priorities outlined by the Department of the Taoiseach for this week's engagements in New York.
The Taoiseach, who arrived in New York on Monday, will "attend a number of engagements relating to developments in the Middle East, including a meeting of the Global Alliance for the implementation of the Two State Solution," the Department said on Tuesday.
The Irish premier will attend an event hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to mark a year since the New York Declaration, which Ireland co-signed, and the Comprehensive Peace Plan.
The Taoiseach will also hold a number of bilateral meetings with other world leaders, including with the UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
On Thursday, the Taoiseach will deliver the National Statement to the United Nations General Assembly.
Ahead of his visit, the Taoiseach said: “My focus this week will be on working with world leaders to collaboratively tackle the global challenges which affect us all, including in Ukraine, the Middle East, support for humanitarian aid globally, and the climate crisis.
"Achieving progress towards a lasting peace, and a dramatic upscaling of urgent aid for Palestine are priorities for Ireland, and I look forward to meeting with leaders from the region and beyond to progress this. The Government and people of Ireland are clear on the huge importance of this, and UNGA presents an opportunity to seek real progress.
"I will also be seeking to discuss with other world leaders Russia’s ongoing illegal invasion of Ukraine, and what we can all do to achieve a real and lasting peace based on the principles of the UN Charter."
As well as meeting with Hochul and Mamdani, the Taoiseach is also due to meet with community members at the New York Irish Centre.
He said: "I also look forward to a number of local engagements while in New York, celebrating its long-standing links with Ireland, and the important role our community still plays in the city today.”
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