PRESIDENT Barack Obama is likely to visit Ireland in late May, to coincide with other European engagements.
“The end of May is likely,” said an official who is familiar with discussions about Mr Obama’s forthcoming trip to Europe.
Mr Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will visit Britain on a state visit at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth from May 24th to 26th. He will travel on to Deauville, France, for the G8 Summit on May 26th to 27th.
Discussions within the US administration are focused on whether Mr Obama should visit Ireland before London or after Deauville.
“The White House hope it’s before the UK,” said the official.
Planning is complicated by the fact that President Mary McAleese has invited the queen to visit Ireland, probably in May or June.
“The queen is going to Ireland, and there may be a reluctance (on the part of the Irish government) to pile up two important visits,” said a prominent Irish American who is in contact with the White House regarding a presidential visit.
“The Irish government is never going to say anything in public that would put conditions on the president’s visit,” the source added.
“They are going to take the presidential visit whenever it’s on offer. The logistics are something that governments negotiate.”
Neither the White House, the Irish Embassy in Washington nor the US embassy in Dublin would confirm officially that a visit is likely in late May.
“I would welcome a visit one day from President Obama. However, I have no confirmation of timing,” said Dan Rooney, US ambassador to Ireland.
Until now, discussions about the trip appear not to have involved the Irish government.
A diplomatic source speculated that the Americans “are waiting for Irish politics to clarify”.
The St Patrick’s Day pilgrimage to Washington will be one of the first acts of the new taoiseach. The source said if the May visit materialises, it could be announced at the White House St Patrick’s Day reception.
“We would love to see President Obama visit Ireland. Of course we would,” said Michael Collins, Ireland’s Ambassador to the United States. But he stressed there have been no specific discussions between Dublin and the White House.
Democratic congressman Richard Neal, the former head of the Friends of Ireland in the House of Representatives, said the visit would have obvious implications for Mr Obama’s re-election campaign.
“Virtually every president makes a pilgrimage to Ireland with an eye on domestic politics,” Mr Neal said. “I advised the White House a year and half ago that the president should visit Ireland.”