Officials in Ireland and US engaging on 'optimal way' to mark St Patrick's Day, says Taoiseach 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he’s “fairly relaxed” about the way St Patrick’s day is marked.

It has yet to be determined if he will travel to Washington DC, as is tradition, and he said officials will shortly agree on what the “optimal way” of marking St Patrick’s day is.

Speaking on a visit to the new Covid-19 vaccination centre in Cork’s City Hall, the Taoiseach said: “In respect of how we mark St Patrick’s day, how we mark that unique relationship between the United States and Ireland, officials in both administrations have been engaging in terms of determining what’s the optimal way of doing that this year in the context of Covid-19.

“It is the number one challenge facing President Joe Biden. It’s our number one challenge here.

“What matters to us is not so much the location of how we mark it but rather the substance of the relationship between our two administrations.” 

However, he has confirmed he will need the Covid-19 vaccine if he does go, but said that the “critical cohorts” take priority.

Mr Martin also said that he would take the vaccine publicly when he does have it done.