WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is praising the bond between the people of the United States and Ireland as one of the strongest in the world.
The president says Irish culture and tradition have had a huge impact on American life. Marking St. Patrick’s Day, he said his fondness for Ireland is personal because his mother’s family ancestry could be traced to the country.
Obama met in the Oval Office with Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen as part of a day of events to mark the holiday on Tuesday. When asked by a reporter, Obama said he hoped to visit Ireland.
Obama joked that while it was great that Cowen got to visit the Oval Office, it was too bad he was missing the Irish parade in Chicago, his hometown.—-Contact The Daily Reveille news staff at [email protected]