Irish whiskey, a hurley and sliotar, and GAA jerseys among State's €12k gifts for foreign VIPs
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The bell may have tolled for Kamala Harris when she was trumped in her bid to become US president, but the current vice president can console herself with a €1,100 sterling silver bell which was the most expensive gift given to a foreign dignitary by the Irish Government over the last two years.
It was one of more than 350 presents bestowed on the dignitaries by either the Department of the Taoiseach or Department of Foreign Affairs between January 2023 and September 2024 at a total cost of €12,563.16.
Details released to the under Freedom of Information show that senior government leaders handed out a range of goodies, with Irish whiskey, GAA jerseys, and cufflinks among the most frequently provided gifts.
The Department of the Taoiseach was the most generous, spending €9,437.16 on 307 gifts. The more miserly Department of Foreign Affairs only spent €3,099 on 62 gifts for dignitaries.
While Kamala got the expensive bell, her current (for about two more weeks) boss Joe Biden received a set of bespoke silver harp cufflinks inscribed with his initials, but his gift, in a wooden presentation box, only cost €492.
The most expensive gift given by Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin was to European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, who received a 1997 bottle of Redbreast whiskey at a cost of €370.
When then taoiseach Leo Varadkar visited South Korea in late 2023, he gave the now impeached Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol a bottle of Redbreast Irish Whiskey — though it must not have had the same vintage as it only cost €114.
There are a number of items commonly gifted by the Taoiseach to diplomats and politicians, including a silver bookmark that has an embossed image of Government Buildings in Dublin. Each costs €67.70.
Items commonly gifted to dignitaries from the Department of Foreign Affairs tend to be sourced from the Kilkenny Group, Donegal Pens, and goldsmith and jeweller Declan Killen.
The Department of the Taoiseach did not provide details on the gifts given to the taoiseach of the day. However, the Department of Foreign Affairs outlined a number of items provided to the Tánaiste over the last two years.
This included a pair of sunglasses, a watch, and notebook from Mr Biden during his visit to Ireland in April 2023.
No make or model of the watch was provided, but the DFA has said that it is currently making efforts to value the timepiece.
Here are some of the other gifts bestowed and received:
- US president Joe Biden — GAA & rugby jerseys: €75;
- Congressman Richard Neal — Bambú hurley with sliotar: €70;
- Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy — Two volumes of Brian Friel plays and Aran jumper €177.50;
- UK prime minister Keir Starmer — Donegal GAA jersey, Irish men’s football jersey: Free;
- All EU leaders — Bottle of Bushmills 10-year-old single malt whiskey: Total value €668.45;
- Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau — Cufflinks, scarf, and tweed tie: €170;
- US speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy — Silver photo frame with embossed harp: €180.
- US president Joe Biden — Sunglasses, watch, and notebook;
- Japanese ambassador — Traditional Japanese goblet;
- Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel — Luxembourg GAA club jersey;
- Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas — Traditional Palestinian robe;
- King of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein — Letter opener;
- Riyadh GAA club — GAA Riyadh half-zip and tie.