St Patrick's Day trips abroad planned for three Westmeath Ministers
Westmeath Minister Peter Burke, and the county's two Ministers of State, Kevin 'Boxer' Moran and Robert Troy, will each be travelling abroad for St Patrick's Day this March.
Kevin 'Boxer' Moran will be heading 'Down Under' to Australia, where he will be representing Ireland at St Patrick's Day events in the cities of Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.
It will be a much longer trip for the Athlone man than last year, when he travelled to Portugal for events themed around Ireland's national holiday.
Minister Burke and Minister of State Troy are among several Government Ministers who will be travelling to the United States this year.
Ballynacargy's Troy will be Texas-bound, where he is due to attend events in the city of Austin, while Mullingar's Burke is heading to New York.
A total of 40 Government representatives will be travelling abroad for St Patrick's Day 2026, with their destinations announced by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at lunchtime today (Tuesday).
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee, said: "St Patrick's Day provides an unparalleled opportunity to showcase Ireland on the global stage and to engage at the highest levels with political, business, civil society, cultural and diaspora leaders.
"This year, 40 representatives of the State will carry Ireland's message to cities across more than 50 countries worldwide.
"The theme for St. Patrick’s Day 2026 will highlight Ireland’s place in the world as a small, open trading economy. It will reflect our economic success, built on openness and strong partnerships, and Ireland’s long-standing commitment to multilateralism," added Minister McEntee.
The Chambers Ireland organisation welcomed the Government Ministers' trips abroad, with its chief executive Ian Talbot saying the travel programme underlines the importance of sustained international engagement at a time of increased global uncertainty.
"St Patrick’s Day remains the most effective moment in the calendar for Ireland to reinforce its global economic relationships and to engage directly with political and business leaders in key markets," said Mr Talbot.
"A consistent international presence matters, particularly when trading conditions are becoming more complex."