Ireland’s Ambassador to the United States, Waterford’s Dan Mulhall, says no other country has a whole day dedicated to them in Washington.

He will be present when Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will present a bowl of shamrock to President Donal Trump today.

Brexit and strengthening Irish-American relations will dominate today’s meeting between at the White House.

They will hold a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, before the annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration reception and shamrock presentation ceremony.

The Taoiseach has a packed schedule today in Washington, with two trips to the White house, a breakfast with the Vice president, lunch on Capitol Hill and the annual bowl of shamrock ceremony.

All eyes will be on the Oval Office, where he will hold a bilateral meeting with Donald Trump.

Brexit will be raised, with the Taoiseach saying he intends to raise any future trade deal between the US and the UK and urging no trade deal be done with the UK that would ever undermine the peace process.

Ambassador Mulhall told WLR News that “It’s astonishing, I have celebrated St Patrick’s Day all over the world in my 40 years of diplomatic life, there’s nothing like America.”

“St Patrick’s Day is an American festival which Ireland is a part of.

“We will have ministers all over the United States.

“The Taoiseach will be in Washington with me

“Every year there is this enthusiasm for Ireland. A whole day is spent in Washington focused on Ireland, no other country has that advantage that we have, having a day devoted to the connection between America and Ireland.”

Ambassador Mulhall says visiting the White House is very special.

“It’s an iconic building, it’s an iconic place, it’s steeped in history.

“You go to other countries and you don’t understand the history of that country to the same degree. In America you understand that Abraham Lincoln lived there, Thomas Jefferson lived there and all these great Presidents of the past occupied that building.

“When you do go in there you get a certain buzz. There are very few buildings in the world that have the iconic recognition that the White House has.”