NEW AMBASSADOR:ANNOUNCING the next US ambassador to Ireland yesterday, US president Barack Obama described the Pittsburgh Steelers' owner as "a great friend" who will make an outstanding representative for his country.
“He and his family are as gracious and thoughtful a group of people as I know, and so I know that he is just going to do an outstanding job. And the people of Ireland I think will benefit greatly from him representing the United States there,” the president said.
Dan Rooney (76) is best known in the US for his ownership of the football team that has won the Super Bowl a record six times, including this year.
His engagement with Ireland stretches back almost four decades, as a co-founder with Sir Anthony O’Reilly of the American Ireland Fund in 1976. In 1987 Mr Rooney established an annual prize for Irish literature and two years later, he co-founded the Ireland Institution of Pittsburgh.
“Dan Rooney is an unwavering supporter of Irish peace, culture, and education, and I have every confidence that he and secretary Clinton will ensure America’s continued close and unique partnership with Ireland in the years ahead,” Mr Obama said yesterday.
A lifelong Republican, Mr Rooney endorsed Mr Obama during last year’s presidential campaign, upsetting some Steelers’ fans who complained that the team represented all of Pittsburgh and should not be associated with any political candidate.
“As a grandfather and a citizen of this community, I think Barack Obama’s thoughtful, strategic approach is important for America,” Mr Rooney said at the time.
“When I hear how excited young people seem to be when they talk about this man, I believe he will do what is best for them, which is to inspire them to be great Americans.”
Mr Rooney, whose nomination as ambassador must be confirmed by the US Senate, is the author of the 2003 “Rooney rule” that requires National Football League teams to interview minority candidates for top coaching jobs. Since then, the proportion of African-American coaches of NFL teams has risen from 6 per cent to 22 per cent.
The current Steelers’ coach, Mike Tomlin, is only the tenth African-American head coach in NFL history.