Ireland's Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that the US could "potentially" play a role in Irish reunification.
The matter of Irish reunification was put to the Taoiseach during an interview with Fox News Digital, recorded when the Irish premier was in New York City for the UN General Assembly last month.
"The Good Friday Agreement was a tremendous success, and the US were critical to the success of peace and conflict resolution in Ireland," the Taoiseach said in the interview.
He reiterated his long-held stance that he, as well as his party Fianna Fáil, believes in Irish reunification, but that there is work to be done beforehand.
"We have to build reconciliation amongst different traditions on the island of Ireland," he said, before mentioning how he developed the Shared Island Initiative, which he says is working to build reconciliation and trust.
The Taoiseach went on to explain that, in accordance with the Good Friday Agreement, a unity referendum can be triggered by Northern Ireland's Secretary of State when there is a majority in Northern Ireland in favor of unity.
"But there is work needed both in terms of fleshing out how you do that and what that means, but also in terms of a lot more discussion between people, North and South, and engagement," the Taoiseach acknowledged.
When asked if he feels the US could be involved in an Irish reunification process, the Taoiseach said: "To a degree, maybe. Potentially, yeah."
The Taoiseach's comments on Irish reunification come not long after US President Donald Trump made an unexpected intervention while in Dublin earlier last month when, sitting beside the Taoiseach, the President was asked for his view on Irish unity.
"I'd love to see it unified," he said, adding: "It's going to happen eventually."
With a nod to the Taoiseach, Trump said: "We're talking about it," before adding: "You got the right man over here to get it moving."
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
"Very strong bond" between Ireland and the US
Later in his interview with Fox News Digital, the Taoiseach remarked on the "very strong bond" between Ireland and the US, describing Irish dignitaries' annual White House visit for St. Patrick's Day as "very honorable."
The Taoiseach said Trump has been "very courteous and facilitative" when the Irish visit annually in March.
He added: "Certainly, he is very proud of his golf course in Doonbeg [in Co Clare], and his son Eric has put in huge efforts there."
The Taoiseach said the Irish Open being hosted at Trump's Doonbeg golf course recently was a "manifestation of the range of connections between Ireland and the United States."
He noted that Trump "of course, would have experience in New York with the Irish American community for a long, long time between construction and so forth."
He continued: "But, generally, successive Presidents have maintained that link to Ireland. And the Irish diaspora is about 30 million people, and that's a huge wellspring of goodwill and feeling in America toward Ireland, and vice versa. There's family, there's kinship ties."
The Taoiseach discussed the new ways the Irish - American connection is being maintained, highlighting in particular "sports tourism," including American football being played in Ireland each year and the Ryder Cup being hosted in Co Limerick next year.
Such events, the Taoiseach said, "will be enormous for the world looking in on Ireland through the prism of the American-Irish connection."
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