This weekend will see a polite collision of two very different ways of dealing with US President Donald Trump. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will pay his first official visit to Ireland.
Since taking office last year, Carney has been at odds with Trump. The American president regularly insults his Canadian counterpart and even suggested that the United States' northern neighbor could become the 51st US state. In response to the continued attacks, the prime minister began promoting a vision of a world in which smaller democracies join forces to collectively resist pressure and intimidation from great powers.
However, it is unlikely that this message will be fully shared by Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, who is scheduled to meet Carney in Dublin before the Canadian leader travels to County Mayo – the homeland of his ancestors.
For years, Ireland has been committed to maintaining the best possible relations with Washington and is very reluctant to do anything that could threaten its carefully cultivated contacts with the American president.
— We will be resolutely and sincerely friendly towards Canada. At the same time, we will equally steadfastly avoid saying a single word that could be construed as criticism of Donald Trump or his administration, one of the Irish officials involved in organizing Carney's visit told POLITICO.
Our philosophy is to build bridges and stay away from unnecessary conflicts
– added the official.
— It is not in our interest to criticize any ally or partner, especially the United States, during the visit of Canada's representative, he stressed. — We depend greatly on maintaining good relations with America, and I'm sure Mark Carney understands that very well.
Ireland's exceptionally conciliatory approach is due to the fact that this country has effectively become an American corporate base on the coast of Europe.
Irish fortune from the USA
While Canada seeks to transform its economy to be less dependent on US tech giants, Ireland cannot imagine functioning without them. Nearly a thousand American multinational corporations operate in the country, including the largest technology, pharmaceutical and medical companies from the United States. Many of them were attracted to Ireland, among other things, thanks to low taxes.
The presence of these companies finances almost a fifth of all wages paid in Ireland, accounts for an even larger share of tax revenues and has transformed a small country into an export powerhouse. A significant part of the goods produced there, especially medicines and pharmaceutical products, go back to the American market instead of to European Union countries, which contributes to one of the largest trade imbalances in the US's relations with other countries.
Moreover, tax revenues received by Ireland from American companies are breaking new records, even though Trump's policies were intended to reverse this trend and encourage companies to return to the United States.
While the economic ties between Dublin and Washington are fundamental, Ireland's relationship with Ottawa is much more modest. Only 75 Canadian companies currently operate in Ireland.
The Irish themselves did little to change this. Ireland is one of the slowest European Union countries to ratify the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) – an agreement concluded a decade ago to increase trade between Canada and Europe, which has been provisionally in force since 2017.
However, this state of affairs may finally change this weekend. After years of announcing that CETA ratification would happen “soon”, Martin is expected to announce the start of the process during Carney's visit.
The land of a hundred thousand greetings
The Irish are famous for their hospitality and have been able to use it to their advantage for decades, charming American leaders with Irish roots. During previous presidential visits, the country's authorities delighted John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and even Barack Obama by emphasizing their family ties to Ireland. Recently, County Mayo welcomed Joe Biden, whose maternal family comes from Ballina.
Charles McQuillan/Stringer/Getty Images
President Joe Biden addresses the crowd during the ceremony at St. John's Cathedral. Muredacha in Ballina, Ireland, on April 14, 2023.
Similar efforts are now being made against Carney. On Saturday, the Prime Minister will be honored at a state dinner in Dublin Castle and will then attend a number of events in County Mayo. The highlight of the visit will be the town of Aghagower, where his grandparents, Robert and Nora Carney, emigrated to Quebec in 1925. The prime minister is expected to attend mass at the Church of St. Patrick and learn about the history of the Carney family, whose members are buried in a nearby cemetery.
According to the Mayo News, several of his first cousins and 21 second cousins are waiting to meet the Canadian prime minister. The Irish Times, in turn, reports that there are 22 of these distant cousins. One of the local entrepreneurs promoting the region told the Irish public television RTE that Carney's welcome will be “as impressive as that of JFK and President Biden.”
Underscoring their bipartisan commitment to warmly welcoming foreign leaders, Irish authorities are already preparing a similarly warm welcome for Trump. In September, the American president is scheduled to visit his golf resort in County Clare, which will host the Irish Open tournament.
This weekend we will show Prime Minister Carney as much appreciation and respect as we can
an Irish official told POLITICO.
And in September, if he actually comes to the golf tournament, we will do exactly the same for Donald Trump. Protecting our interests means that we provide for all guests cead mmle failte – That is a hundred thousand greetings.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
