And the Irish tax take from U.S. companies based here keeps hitting record highs despite Trump policies designed to reverse the flow.
While the economic ties that bind Dublin and Washington are fundamental, the Irish have forged more humble links with Ottawa, with only 75 Canadian companies operating from Ireland.
And the Irish haven’t done much to change that dynamic. Ireland is among the EU laggards in ratifying the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the decade-old treaty seeking to boost business between Canada and Europe that has been provisionally in force since 2017.
That status quo may finally change this weekend. After years pledging to complete the CETA’s ratification “soon,” Martin is expected to announce that move during Carney’s visit.
The land of 100,000 welcomes
The Irish are famous for their hospitality, and have used it to their advantage by charming American leaders with Irish roots going back to the ’60s. During past presidential visits to the island, authorities delighted John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and even Barack Obama by highlighting their familial ties to the country. Most recently, County Mayo rolled out the red carpet for Joe Biden, who hails on his mother’s side from Ballina.
The Irish are going much the same distance to dazzle Carney. The prime minister first will be honored at a state dinner in Dublin Castle on Saturday, then attend a series of receptions in Mayo, most crucially in Aghagower, from where his grandparents Robert and Nora Carney emigrated to Quebec in 1925. He’s expected to attend Mass in St. Patrick’s Church in the crossroads village and learn about the Carney clan buried in the adjoining cemetery.