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No US ambassador to Ireland ?

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  • 16-07-2013 2:55pm
    #1
    OU812
    Registered Users Posts: 6,050 ✭✭✭


    Just came across this on Irish Central.

    Wasn't aware there was no American Ambassador in Ireland & hasn't been since last December. Seems strange, no ?


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    #2
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,445 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    The post of US Ambassador to Ireland is typically filled by a crony of the current President, it is almost never filled by a State Dept. diplomat because it's considered a 'plum' posting.

    At the end of a President's first term of office, it's normal for all political appointees to diplomatic postings to submit their resignations in order to allow the president to appoint new ambassadors for his second term. This allows a president to reward the people who helped him get re-elected i.e. the fundraisers and contributors who paid for his re-election campaign.
    OU812 wrote: »
    Seems strange, no ?

    The vacancy in Dublin is not 'strange' at all, read the article you linked to.....

    It is believed that a couple of names of those under consideration were removed after the stiff background checks.

    In addition, the continuing dispute over appointments by the Obama administration, with several prospective cabinet members having delayed hearings in the Senate, have contributed to the delay.


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    #3
    Stojkovic
    Registered Users Posts: 981 ✭✭✭Stojkovic


    OU812 wrote: »
    Wasn't aware there was no American Ambassador in Ireland & hasn't been since last December. Seems strange, no ?
    Jesus Christ, who's running the country ?


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    #4
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,445 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    One more comment: the post of US Ambassador to Dublin is largely ceremonial. The only exception in recent times was Jean Kennedy-Smith who was used by the Irish Govt. as a conduit to the Irish-American lobby in the Congress during the negotiations that led to the signing of the Good Friday agreement, not least via her brother Senator Ted Kennedy.

    After the Good Friday agreement was signed and Clinton left office, George W. Bush's first ambassador to Ireland was a Republican fund-raiser called Richard Egan (whose company EMC has a large manufacturing facility in Cork), he thought he was going to be a major mover and shaker but as most of the political activity had gone quiet, he discovered that he had nothing to do so he jacked in the job after about 18 months and went home!

    Day to day diplomatic business is and always has been the job of the senior resident diplomat who is known as the Deputy Chief of Mission when there is a resident ambassador and charge d'affaires when the ambassador slot is vacant.

    So nobody really notices when there is no resident ambassador except maybe the CEOs of major US companies in Ireland who could reasonably expect an invitation for burgers and hot dogs at the ambassador's Fourth of July party in the Phoenix Park. Other than that, nobody really gives a sh1te if there's someone in the job or not.


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