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St Patrick's in Washington 'not just a green jamboree'

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St Patrick's in Washington 'not just a green jamboree'


Enda McClafferty

BBC News NI political editor

PA Media A woman with long brown curly hair is on the left of the image. She is smiling and wearing a black formal blazer and a cream top. The woman on the left has blond shoulder-length hair and is smiling at something off-camera. She is wearing a green formal blazer and a cream top. Between them is a fluffy grey broadcast microphone. PA Media

The first and deputy first ministers visited Washington DC for St Patrick’s Day in 2024

When the US President Donald Trump last hosted the St Patrick’s Day festivities in the White House, Northern Ireland got a special mention.

He deliberately drew a distinction between Ireland north and south much to the delight of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) at the time.

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It wasn’t just a green jamboree.

Now he’s back in the Oval Office, much has changed and Northern Ireland will likely be far from the US president’s radar.

Given his whirlwind return to the White House, he has much more pressing matters on his mind.

Getty Images Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump posing with a bowl of shamrock at the White House in 2018.  Trump is wearing a navy suit, white shirt and green tie and Mrs Trump is wearing a green animal print dress.  The Irish and US flags are behind the couple.Getty Images

US President Donald Trump, holding a bowl of shamrock, with his wife US First Lady Melania Trump during St Patrick’s Day celebrations in March 2018

He may even fail to notice the absence of First Minister Michelle O’Neill, or be aware of her boycott over his stance on Gaza.

But her absence will be noted at other key events away from the White House in Washington DC this week.

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Like the traditional Northern Ireland bureau breakfast on Thursday.

It is an executive-run event and the first and deputy first ministers hosted it together last year.

It is aimed at showcasing Northern Ireland to would-be American investors and celebrating it’s historical and cultural bonds.

Another key networking event is the Ireland Funds Dinner where the first and deputy first ministers held centre stage last year, marking the return of devolution.

Again, the first minister will not be present.

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But O’Neill joined Emma Little-Pengelly on an investment trip to North Carolina on Monday, along with a delegation from the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce.

O’Neill said she could not attend St Patrick’s Day events “in good conscience” following President Trump’s remarks on Gaza last month

On Tuesday, O’Neill will fly home leaving Little-Pengelly to travel on to Washington DC.

She will be present at the White House reception on Wednesday and is likely to meet President Trump.

If so, she will probably focus on Northern Ireland’s investment links with the US and maybe mention next years 250th anniversary of American independence.

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Stormont is planning to celebrate the role played by Northern Irish immigrants in the birth of the United States of America.

Like John Dunlap who printed the first copies of the Declaration of Independence.

He was born in Strabane in 1747.

Details of events planned will be announced by Communities Minister Gordon Lyons in Washington DC this week.

But the key focus will be on the much-anticipated meeting between President Trump and the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin.

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Getty Images Micheál Martin pictured on a TV screen in the White House during a video call with former US President Joe Biden in March 2022.  Both men are wearing navy suits, white shirts and green ties.  A bowl of shamrock is on a table in front of Biden. Getty Images

Micheál Martin has previously celebrated St Patrick’s Day with video calls to the White House due to Covid concerns

Martin has fifty billion reasons to be nervous about the Oval Office get together.

That is how much in Euros the Irish government profits from it’s one-sided trading relationship with the US.

An imbalance which the Trump administration is determined to fix.

A fix which might see the big US firms in the Republic being incentivised back across the Atlantic.

President Trump is also threatening to impose a 25% tariff on EU imports to the US which is likely to trigger a trade war with Brussels.

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That could leave Northern Ireland caught in the cross-fire as, under the Windsor Framework, it remains in the EU single market for goods.

It also enforces the EU custom code.

All of which means Northern Ireland may be forced to impose tariffs on US goods, even if the rest of the UK is not.

But President Trump’s actions don’t always match his threats.

Getty Images Micheal Martin wears a navy suit and blue shirt Getty Images

Martin says he is ‘delighted’ by Trump’s White House invite

The Taoiseach will also be the first EU leader to return to the Oval Office since the President’s bust-up with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

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It is a potential minefield for Micheál Martin and he will have to chose his words carefully.

His moment of jeopardy will come when he faces questions from the press alongside President Trump.

Traditionally, this is nothing more than a photo opportunity, but President Trump likes to shoot the breeze with the press pack.

That could mean awkward questions around the Republic’s trade imbalance with the US, or the Irish government’s plan to block imports from occupied territories in the Middle East.

Even a skilled politician like Micheál Martin will be tested by such an unpredictable president.

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Washington Capitals 2025-26 W Magazine Now Available | Washington Capitals

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Washington Capitals 2025-26 W Magazine Now Available | Washington Capitals


Arlington, Va.W Magazine, a lifestyle publication produced by the Washington Capitals, is now available for purchase online at www.washcaps.com/wmagazine and at the Team Store at Capital One Arena and at the Team Store at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. The fan-favorite magazine, which features content surrounding every Capitals player along with hundreds of personal, never-before-seen family photos, is available for $8 plus shipping. In addition, season ticket members will receive a complimentary issue, with copies for season ticket members available at the Planholder Hub on the 100-level concourse during Capitals home games.

The cover story, written by Capitals senior writer Mike Vogel, goes in-depth with forward Pierre-Luc Dubois. Vogel speaks with Dubois, his teammates and family members for an extensive feature on the phone call that changed Dubois’ life and shaped his future with the Capitals franchise. Spanning more than 200 pages, W offers exclusive photography of Capitals players and their families, along with lifestyle content and interviews with every member of the 2025-26 roster. Highlights include:

  • John Carlson on fishing in Maryland with his sons
  • Brandon Duhaime on spearfishing and his related YouTube channel
  • Ryan Leonard on moving to D.C. and living with the Dubois family
  • Charlie Lindgren on his first offseason as a dad
  • Alex Ovechkin on celebrating back home after becoming the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer
  • Logan Thompson on his love of dogs
  • Trevor van Riemsdyk on pop-a-shot and pickleball

The magazine also features an in-depth look at the Capital One Arena transformation project, including exclusive photos, insights into future phases and Capitals player reactions to the new Capitals locker room complex. A special interview with Monumental Sports Network’s Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin reflects on the historic 50th anniversary season, while a day-in-the-life piece with Caps Radio’s John Walton and Katie Florio brings readers behind-the-scenes of a home game radio broadcast.

Additional features include a look at a regular day for former Capitals service dog in training Biscuit – now a facility dog at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center – and a photographic recap of Alex Ovechkin’s historic 2024-25 season. A new “Beyond the Boards” section spotlights community stories, while the fan-favorite “Short Shifts” section returns with Capitals players sharing thoughts on topics such as the best singer on the team, funniest teammate, personal goals beyond hockey, what everyone should try at least once, their ideal entrance theme song and more.

The magazine also profiles members of the Capitals Black Hockey Committee and introduces fans to the team driving the organization’s youth hockey initiatives.

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W design services were provided by Matt Ryan. Player photography was provided by Greg Powers with assistance from Damon Banks. The cover featuring Pierre-Luc Dubois was photographed on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., with the assistance of captains and crew from City Cruises. Players were photographed for the publication at Origin in Arlington, Va.



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Ginger’s Journey: Walking from Washington State to Washington, D.C.

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Ginger’s Journey: Walking from Washington State to Washington, D.C.


Imagine setting out, on foot, for a journey not knowing how long it would take. Now imagine doing it with two animals as traveling partners from Washington State to Washington, D.C.

“Now I’ve started this leg of the journey in Morton, Washington where I was spiritually requested to go to Washington, D.C. and sing the song ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon on the Capitol steps,” says Jacob Holiday.

Jacob Holiday is on his way across America so he can sing a song he says signifies peace in the hopes, he says, of ending violence everywhere.

“I want so much peace. Cops would no longer carry firearms. We’re going to send the militaries of every country, I don’t care which one you’re talking about but every country, home to go to sleep. I don’t care what they do. But I want all this violence, everything, all this violence to stop.”

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He has two wagons and his traveling companions are a dog and a goat. Holiday started in Washington State in July and he’s not worried about how long his hike across America will take.

His multi-state trek has seen him encounter a lot along the way, including a run-in with a bear.

He carries food for himself and his dog and his goat on carts that he says weigh a couple hundred pounds. Besides necessities, Holiday has one thing he’d greatly appreciate receive being able to buy as he continues his mission.

Holiday says he knows his mission isn’t an easy one, and he uses it as a metaphor for life as a whole.

We caught up with Holiday in the early part of November on a 70-degree day in Cambridge, Nebraska then spoke to him again a few days later in the rain as he headed east on Highways 6 and 34, so no telling how far he’s gotten now.

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After we met with Holiday, we did notify the local sheriff to perform a welfare check, but we’re told Holiday wanted to continue his walk with his Capitol Steps goal still ahead of him. We also offered him food for himself and his animals, which he declined saying he had enough food on his carts.



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Washington state flooding damage profound but unclear, governor warns

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Washington state flooding damage profound but unclear, governor warns


The extent of the damage in Washington state is profound but unclear after more than a week of heavy rains and record flooding, according to the state’s governor, Bob Ferguson.

A barrage of storms from weather systems stretching across the Pacific has dumped close to 2ft (0.6 metres) of rain in parts of the state, swelling rivers far beyond their banks and prompting more than 600 rescues across 10 counties.

More high water, mudslides and power outages were in the forecast. Elevated rivers and flood risk could persist until at least late this month, according to the National Weather Service. Wind and flood watches and warnings are expected in much of the north-west for the next couple of days as storms bring rain, heavy mountain snow and high winds.

As of Tuesday, authorities had recorded one death – of a man who drove past warning signs into a flooded area – but key highways were buried or washed out, entire communities had been inundated, and saturated levees had given way. It could be months before State Route 2, which connects cities in western Washington with the Stevens Pass ski area and the faux Bavarian tourist town of Leavenworth across the mountains, can be reopened, Ferguson said.

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“We’re in for the long haul,” Ferguson said at a news conference. “If you get an evacuation order, for God’s sakes, follow it.”

It won’t be until after waters recede and landslide risk subsides that crews will be able to fully assess the damage, he said. The state and some counties are making several million dollars available to help people pay for hotels, groceries and other necessities, pending more extensive federal assistance that Ferguson and Washington’s congressional delegation expect to see approved.

According to the governor’s office, first responders had conducted at least 629 rescues and 572 assisted evacuations. As many as 100,000 people had been under evacuation orders at times, many of them in the flood plain of the Skagit River north of Seattle.



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