Sinn Féin, which recently announced it would not attend St Patrick’s Day events at the White House, was in fact not invited by the Trump administration, the US embassy has said.
In a statement to The Irish Times, the US ambassador to Ireland, Edward Walsh, confirmed that “no members of Sinn Féin have been invited to the White House, and none are expected to be invited”, reports Breaking News.
He added: “Announcing a boycott of an event for which invitations have neither been extended nor finalised is premature.”
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Earlier this week, Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Féin leader, said no party representatives would attend the White House, citing the situation in Gaza, reports Breaking News.
She said: “It is important that the eyes of the international community remain focused on what is happening in Palestine and it is important that Sinn Féin uses its voice to demand that international law is upheld and peace and justice prevail.”
Sinn Féin did not attend the event last year, the first of President Donald Trump’s second term. However, the party assumed Ms McDonald would be invited again, reports Breaking News.
A party spokesman noted: “Invites are usually made in the week before the St Patrick’s Day event, so the decision not to attend pre-empted any invite being made,” reports Breaking News.
The ambassador also stated that demand for invitations to the White House this year is exceptionally high.
“Demand to participate this year is the strongest we have ever seen, underscoring the depth and vitality of the US–Ireland partnership,” the statement said, reports Breaking News.
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