The Council's 2021 Annual Report is now available online for download. Click here for
details
Spring Corporate Lunch held in Dublin
The Ireland-U.S. Council's 2022 Spring Corporate Lunch was held Friday, April 22 in Dublin's InterContinental Hotel. During the full-house lunch event, the Council presented its Global Public Service Award to Eric Green, President & CEO of West Pharmaceuticals of Exton, PA, for its important contributions in producing the vital components needed to administer vaccines and combat the global Covid pandemic. The company operates facilities in Dublin and Waterford.
Seen at the award presentation were (from left) Tom Higgins, President of the Ireland-U.S. Council; Eric Green; Claire Cronin, U.S. Ambassador to Ireland and Yvonne Muldoon, Director of Sales, Aer Lingus, who was a sponsor of the event.
In Memoriam
Norbert Galligan
Senior Vice President of AIB Group in New York
It was with the greatest sadness that we have learned of the untimely passing of a long-time Council supporter Norbert Galligan who has died in New York after a tragic accident. He was Executive Vice President of AIB Group, Ireland’s largest banking group. He had served in various executive roles for the bank in its U.S. operations, based in New York for over twenty years.
A long-time resident of Rye, New York, Norbert was devoted to his family and to his community. He was a great and loyal friend of the Ireland-U.S. Council. He will be sadly missed by his very wide circle of friends in the United States and in Ireland.
Fé bhraith Dé go raibh a anam dílis agus nár laga Dia é.
After two-year hiatus, our Ireland-U.S. Council
St. Patrick’s Lunch is back in style
Yes, it had been two years since last we were able to host our Ireland-U.S. Council St. Patrick’s Lunch in New York.
The Metropolitan Club, our magnificent home away from home, was the splendid venue for the highly-successful comeback lunch event.
Pictured on the occasion were (from left) Tom Higgins, President of the Ireland-U.S. Council; Helena Nolan, Ireland's Consul General in New York; Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications of Ireland, and Council Board Member, Bill Byrne, Senior Vice President of Global Sales for Aer Lingus.
New U.S. Ambassador Presents Credentials in Ireland
President Biden's envoy to Ireland is Claire D. Cronin who presented her credentials to President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins at a ceremony in Áras an Uachtaráin, officially assuming the office of United States Ambassador to Ireland.
After the ceremony, Ambassador Cronin said, “I am deeply honoured to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. My grandfather hailed from County Donegal, and I feel a great sense of connection to Ireland and its people. As Ambassador, I plan to build on our important relationship by advancing mutual interests, as well as cooperating with my Irish partners in addressing global challenges facing our two countries.”
Prior to her appointment, Ambassador Cronin was elected as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. She was the first woman to serve as the Chair of the Judiciary Committee. As Chair of the Judiciary Ms. Cronin was the architect of significant pieces of legislation, including major criminal justice reform and police reform. She later became the first female House majority leader.
Ambassador Cronin was joined at Áras an Uachtaráin today by her husband, Ray, and their two daughters. Ms. Cronin arrived in Ireland on Wednesday, February 9, 2022.
Ireland-U.S. Council Gala Dinner in Dublin
The Ireland-U.S. Council hosted a successful, sold-out black-tie Gala Dinner in Dublin Castle on Friday, December 3, 2021 - our first in-person event in Dublin in two years because of the Covid virus. Earlier that afternoon, AnTaoiseach Micheál Martin, Ireland's Prime Minister, presented the Council's 2021 Global Achievement Award to Geoff Martha (center), Chairman & CEO of Medtronic, with Tom Higgins, President of the Council. The award celebrated Medtronic’s role in the Covid-19 pandemic for a ramping-up of its ventilator production in Galway at the height of the global crisis.
58th Annual Dinner in New York
At last, our Ireland-U.S. Council in-person event programming has restarted after the challenge of the Covid shutdown, And, it was a splendid comeback affair. Here's a short video that provides a taste of the goings-on at the Metropolitan Club last week. It's good to have our live in-person events back on the calendar. We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming Council gathering.
The Ireland-U.S. Council's 2021 Award For Outstanding Portraiture Presented To Emma Stroude for Fifteen
Prudential Financial’s Sponsorship Supports This Important Arts Program
Emma Stroude’s portrait of her daughter, “Fifteen” has been chosen as the winner of the 2021 Award for Outstanding Portraiture, sponsored by the Ireland-
U.S. Council in conjunction with The Irish Arts Review. The award is presented in Ireland to an artist whose work is judged to be of outstanding merit. The Award is an important part of the Ireland-U.S. Council’s program to support the arts and arts education in Ireland. Council
member-company Prudential Financial is the principal financial sponsor of this program.
Danger for Ireland's Corporate Tax Policy in U.S. tax proposals
There are clear dangers for Ireland in the Biden Administration plans to amend U.S. Corporate Tax rates and its recent push, separately, encouraging multilateral action (OECD, G7 and others) on an international minimum corporation profits tax –currently, they are talking 15%.
The debate in the United States on this matter is ongoing as the matter is prepped for Congressional action. To illustrate, check out this recent exchange on Fox Business Channel between program host Dagen McDowell and Larry Kudlow, who is also a Fox Business host with his own separate program on the same channel.
Some background on Larry Kudlow – he is a charismatic and articulate American television commentator on economic issues who was chief economic advisor in President Trump’s administration. He had also served as the associate director for economics and planning in President Reagan’s first term in office. After a long career in the financial sector, he became a television commentator on economic issues. The author of four books on finance and economics, Kudlow is a very strong advocate of free trade and supply-side economics. He is a firm believer in the policy of reducing taxes to encourage growth in the economy.
Ireland's Corporation Tax
The Wall Street Journal lead editorial from Friday, May 28, is a consequential piece that recounts in quite some detail Ireland's consistent and decades-long corporate tax policies. These Irish taxation laws surely stand front and center in any big-picture assessment of Ireland-U.S. economic relations. We hope you find this an interesting and illuminating read.
Whether we like it or not, Ireland's policies have become a part, however small, of the current political debate in America on the future direction of U.S. corporate tax issues.
U.S. Corporate Tax Law Changes Portend Major Implications for Ireland-U.S. Economic Relations
Below we reproduce a lead editorial recently published in America’s largest newspaper – the influential Wall Street Journal – describing and commenting on proposed changes to tax law in America.
Ireland is the only country name-checked in this piece. If these proposals are approved by Congress and enacted into U.S. law they will have big implications for Ireland-U.S. economic relations. We will be monitoring the status of these proposals as they pass through the Congressional legislative process in Washington D.C. and will keep members and friends of our Ireland-U.S. Council community fully informed of developments.
Ireland's Tourism Industry Readies for Post-Pandemic Bounce Back
We are beginning to see more positive news by the day on the Covid pandemic front. It is our hope that we may all be able to get together in person safely at an Ireland-U.S. Council event in New York and in Dublin before the end of this year. Stay tuned!
Meantime, please see this video message from Alison Metcalfe of Tourism Ireland who has been a staunch and loyal supporter of the Ireland-U.S. Council through thick and thin.
The Ireland-U.S. Council Supports Appointment of a U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland
New York, February 17, 2021: The Ireland-U.S. Council today added its voice to the calls for the swift appointment of a U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland by President
Biden which were first suggested by the Irish Echo Newspaper and endorsed by the influential Ancient Order of Hibernians organization.
In remarks amplifying its support for the appointment, the President of the Ireland-U.S. Council, Tom Higgins, Executive Vice President of Fiserv noted “We believe this would be welcomed by all people of goodwill who are working to ensure that in these post-Brexit days, no institutional or other changes will be allowed to occur that might compromise economic growth prospects and the harmonious peace that has been such a blessing to the Island of Ireland since the last decade of the 20th Century.”
Continuing Mr. Higgins added “We sincerely believe that the Irish Protocol to deal with issues in Ireland arising after Brexit present the best opportunity to safely and
prosperously navigate the potentially choppy waters that these times present. It is vital that there be a smooth implementation of the outstanding commitments in the Good Friday Agreement.”
In concluding remarks, Mr. Higgins noted “We strongly believe there are magnificent opportunities for economic renewal and fresh economic growth arising from the unique new dispensation where Northern Ireland enjoys all the advantages of remaining within
the European Union’s Single Market and its Customs Union, while at the same time enjoying unfettered access to all British mainland markets. Truly, it is the best of both
worlds for all the people on the island of Ireland. We believe the appointment of a Special Envoy by the United States at this time would make a major contribution to this process.”
Council Member Update - Dublin Airport's expansion
The Ireland-U.S. Council believes that Dublin Airport is a key component in the infrastructure necessary to sustain the important and flourishing transatlantic connection between the United States and the Emerald Isle. We are pleased to support the Dublin Airport Authority's
campaign to make this crucial transportation hub more efficient and competitive.
Council Member Update
Elizabeth Crabill CEO of CIE Tours International discusses the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on transatlantic tourism between the US and Ireland and tour options for a post-pandemic world.
Scholarship Program updates
Annalise Stack, Director of the Ireland-U.S. Council's Scholarship Program with some updates on the Council's Scholarship Program in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Programming agenda updates
Sophie Colgan, Program Director of the Ireland-U.S. Council with some updates on our programming agenda in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A message from David O'Sullivan Executive Director of the Ireland-U.S. Council
Welcome to the website of the Ireland-U.S. Council. Our
mission is to build business links between America and Ireland. This site contains
detailed information on the organization's programs
and activities in both the United States and in the Emerald
Isle.
We value your interest in the mission of the Council and always welcome new members. We hope that you find the answers here to any questions you
may have about us. If not, please contact us and we
will be happy to tell you more.
It was back in 1962 that, in preparation for the visit of President John F. Kennedy
to Ireland the following year, two organizations were created as a measure to build
institutional form around a structure to improve the relations between America and
Ireland.
One was dedicated to cultural relations - the American Irish Foundation, which has
since merged into the American Ireland Fund. Your Council was the other and was
aimed at building business bonds between America and Ireland.
We cherish the shared commitments that connect us to our Council mission. During
the past year, the Council has enjoyed outstanding support from members and from
many benefactors, patrons and sponsors. On behalf of the Council's Board and the
entire membership of the organization throughout the United States and in all parts
of Ireland, we offer thanks for the support we continue to receive.
