Earlier, McGregor told reporters that he was going to voice concerns about immigration issues in Ireland when he spoke to the president.

Accompanied by his partner and four children, the controversial MMA fighter praised the president’s work ethic as “inspiring” as he met him in the Oval Office.

Trump hailed McGregor’s own work rate, and described him as “fantastic”.

Last week, during a meeting at the White House with Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin, the US president praised McGregor’s tattoos.

The fighter also attended President Trump’s inauguration in January.

In 2024, a woman who accused McGregor of raping her in a Dublin hotel won a claim against him for damages in a civil case.

A jury found that he had assaulted her and ordered him to pay more than €248,000 (£206,000).

Earlier on Monday, McGregor appeared at the White House press briefing room lectern with press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who confirmed the meeting was scheduled for later in the day.

Ms Leavitt said she “couldn’t think of a better guest to have with us on St Patrick’s Day”.

The fighter said he planned to “raise the issues the people of Ireland face”.

He accused the Irish government of “abandoning” the voices of the people of Ireland as he criticised immigration policies.

“What is going on in Ireland is a travesty,” he said.

“Our money is being spent on overseas issues that is nothing to do with the Irish people,” he added.

McGregor has previously spoken out against Ireland’s policies on immigration and asylum seekers.

Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin was critical of McGregor’s comments, posting on social media: “St Patrick’s Day around the world is a day rooted in community, humanity, friendship and fellowship.

“Conor McGregor’s remarks are wrong and do not reflect the spirit of St Patrick’s Day, or the views of the people of Ireland,” Martin added.

Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) Simon Harris said the MMA fighter has visited Washington DC in a “personal capacity” and that he is not representing the country.

“He doesn’t speak for Ireland. He doesn’t speak for the people of Ireland. He has no mandate to do such,” Harris said to reporters in New York.

He said the president is “perfectly entitled” to invite whoever he wishes to the White House.

“But let me be very clear, Conor McGregor is not here in the United States representing Ireland or the people of Ireland.”

Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) assembly member Matthew O’Toole described McGregor’s White House appearance as an “insult to the island of Ireland” and “deeply depressing”.

“That Trump and his administration thought on Ireland’s national day to invite and clearly make a huge effort to platform and amplify McGregor, who is an appalling individual, is frankly beyond the pale,” he told BBC News NI.

On Monday, McGregor was also pictured alongside Elon Musk in the Oval Office.

Mr Musk is a close ally of the US president and is leading efforts to reduce the size of the federal government.

He appeared at the White House press briefing room lectern on Monday with press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who confirmed the meeting was scheduled for later in the day.

Ms Leavitt said she “couldn’t think of a better guest to have with us on St Patrick’s Day”.

Last week, during a meeting at the White House with Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin, the US president praised McGregor’s tattoos.

In 2024, a woman who accused McGregor of raping her in a Dublin hotel won a claim against him for damages in a civil case.

A jury found that he had assaulted her and ordered him to pay more than €248,000 (£206,000).

On Monday, Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that the fighter said he planned to “raise the issues the people of Ireland face”.

McGregor has previously spoken out against Ireland’s policies on immigration and asylum seekers.

Posting on X about McGregor’s White House visit the Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “St Patrick’s Day around the world is a day rooted in community, humanity, friendship and fellowship.

“Conor McGregor’s remarks are wrong and do not reflect the spirit of St Patrick’s Day, or the views of the people of Ireland.”

The boxer also attended President Trump’s inauguration in January.

She added that she has “been very clear” that she wants to make ending violence against women and girls a “key priority”.

Little-Pengelly, as well as Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and Northern Ireland Assembly Speaker Edwin Poots, met the US president during a St Patrick’s Day luncheon on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

She insisted that her role as deputy first minister was to “champion Northern Ireland” and “engage with the democratically elected president”.

Speaking to BBC’s The View presenter Mark Carruthers in Washington DC, Little-Pengelly said: “We engage with the office of president, we don’t engage with people on the basis of their particular personal views or political opinions.”

“Regardless of what you think of President Trump, this is a president with the ability to make decisions that will have a big impact on Northern Ireland,” she added.

When asked if she should separate the man from the office, she answered: “Of course, I think we have to.”

“When you meet with a leader of another country you are not meeting with them because you agree with their political agenda or personal opinions, you’re meeting with them because of that position,” the minister added.

She said that if you enter the “territory in terms of judging people” on their personal opinions or political agenda, “there would be very few people we would engage with”.

On Thursday, Little-Pengelly was asked on BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme whether the president’s comments about Conor McGregor made her uncomfortable as someone who has campaigned against misogyny and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

Last November, McGregor was ordered to pay more than €248,000 (£206,000) in damages after a jury found he had sexually assaulted Nikita Hand.

“We have campaigned incredibly hard in Northern Ireland in terms of the ending violence against women and girls strategy. I take an absolutely clear-cut stance that all VAWG is wrong,” she said.

When asked on the prospect of US import taxes on steel and aluminium, the deputy first minister told The View the Northern Ireland should be “realistic” about the situation.

“This is the president of the United States. Northern Ireland is a wee small place in the world, we have to be realistic about that. That’s why it is important for us to be here.”

“I’m concerned there is that risk there. That is why this week has been beneficial,” she added.

“The agency that we have is to influence and to make sure that this issue is on the radar for the key people.

“Can we absolutely dictate the outcome of this? No. What we can try and do is make sure that people with influence over key decision makers and policy makers are aware of this issue.”

She urged the UK government to “step up urgently” on the matter.

Former Trump aide Patrick Wilson has said there was a “tremendous amount of tone deafness by politicians in Northern Ireland”.

In 2018, he was appointed by President Trump to lead the Office of Business Liaison, within the Office of the Secretary at the US Department of Commerce

He is currently Vice President of Government Relations for MediaTek Inc.

“No one in the world is desperate to find out what political leaders in Northern Ireland think about major crises, because they’re not in a position to change it or shape it”, he told the programme.

Sinn Féin’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill announced in February that her party would boycott St Patrick’s Day events at the White House over Trump’s stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Trump’s former aide told The View: “Nobody in Gaza is going to look to these politicians to save them, to house them, to clothe children, to feed hungry people.

“That’s just not what they do. They do have great programs, and I’m not trying to take away from that, but it’s not within their power. And so a lot of it is kind of a lot of words and not a lot of deeds.”

He added that certain parties in Northern Ireland have “aligned themselves with the most sort of grotesque defenders of violence”.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland is to be included in a special international commemoration event at Mount Vernon next year.

It will form a major part of the 250th anniversary of American independence, where immigrants from Northern Ireland played a vital role in the birth of the United States.

Mount Vernon is the former residence of the first US president, George Washington.

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said he had a meeting with the America 250 Commission and the granting of “special status” to Northern Ireland for the role they played in the early years of the US was significant.

One notable person from this period was John Dunlap, who printed the first copies of the Declaration of Independence. He was born in Strabane in 1747.

Lyons said the event was important and would put Northern Ireland “front and centre”.

“It’s been about putting Northern Ireland on the world stage and letting people know who we are and what we’re about,” he told BBC’s Nolan Show.

The communities minister was keen to stress that 17 US presidents had Ulster Scots roots.

“This is significant because the organisers of the party next year, recognise the role that people from Ulster played in the Ulster Scots in particular. We have a big story to tell that hasn’t been told in the past,” he added

The announcement comes after a £750,000 funding boost for the Ulster American Folk Park in County Tyrone.

The project is due to drive an increase in cultural and heritage links with the US.

The announcement was made during a visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington DC on Tuesday.

The museum tells the story of the emigration of people from Ulster to North America in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Lyons said: “Our story and the heritage we share with the US is a history worth telling. Our connections, make Northern Ireland, a deeply resonant tourist destination for many Americans wishing to learn more about their Ulster Scots roots.”

He made the comments during a bilateral meeting with Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin as part of the Irish government’s traditional St Patrick’s Day engagements.

Earlier on Wednesday, the European Union announced it will impose counter tariffs on €26bn ($28bn) worth of US goods from next month.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said: “There’s a massive deficit that we have with Ireland… we want to sort of even that out as nicely as we can, and we’ll work together.”

Martin told President Trump that foreign investment is a two-way street, adding that Ireland is “investing a lot more in America now”.The EU’s move is in retaliation to President Trump’s 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports into the US, which came into effect overnight.

Trump said it had caused “ill will”.

“The European Union’s been very tough, and it’s our turn too. We get a turn at that also,” he said.

“I’m not knocking it, they are doing what they are doing for the EU, but it does create ill will and you know we are going to do reciprocal tariffs,” he added.

Official figures from Ireland’s statistics agency suggest the country had a goods-trade surplus with the US of just over €50bn (£41.6bn) in 2024.

Ireland’s goods exports to the US were €72.6bn (£60.4bn) in 2024 while its imports from the US were €22.5bn (£18.7bn).

Trump said that the EU was “set up in order to take advantage of the United States”.

When asked if Ireland was also taking advantage of the US, Trump said: “Of course.”

“I have great respect for Ireland, for what they did and they should have done just what they did. But the United States shouldn’t have let that happen. We had stupid leaders, we had leaders who didn’t have a clue.”

He added: “All of a sudden Ireland has our pharmaceutical companies, this beautiful island of five million people has got the entire US pharmaceutical industry in its grasps.

“The Irish are smart, smart people and you took our pharmaceutical companies – and other companies – but you know, through taxation, proper taxation, they made it very, very good for companies to move up there,” he added.

Trump also said that if he drained Ireland of all the US companies “maybe I’d lose the Irish vote”.

“We don’t want to do anything to hurt Ireland, but we do want fairness and [Martin] understands that,” he added.

However, Martin said the pharmaceutical companies “are doing very well in Ireland”, and that there was room to discuss a deal.

“I think there’s room for those companies to grow in America and many of them, by the way, have already announced fairly significant manufacturing investments now [in the US],” the taoiseach added.

Martin said Ireland had served the US companies well with a strong, educated workforce and access to the EU single market.

The president said Ireland’s housing crisis was caused by the country “doing so well”.

Housing availability and cost is a major political and social issue in Ireland, with reports stating thousands of new homes every year are needed to keep up with demand.

“You know why they have a housing crisis? Because they’re doing so well, they can’t produce houses fast enough,” Trump said.

Martin added it was a “good answer”.

However the remark has drawn criticism from opposition parties, with Sinn Féin stating that joking about the housing crisis is “never a good answer”.

Trump also praised Northern Ireland golfer Rory McIlroy and MMA fighter Conor McGregor during the visit.

He called McIlroy “talented”, adding he had played a round with him three weeks ago.

The president also complimented McGregor’s tattoos: “He’s got the best tattoos I’ve ever seen”.

Earlier, the US president said he was unaware that some political parties were boycotting St Patrick’s Day celebrations at the White House.

Sinn Féin, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and Alliance all ruled out attending events in Washington over the Trump administration’s stance on Gaza.

When asked about the boycotts, Trump replied: “I haven’t heard that, I really haven’t heard that.”

After the bilateral meeting, both Trump and Martin travelled to Capitol Hill to attend the Friends of Ireland luncheon hosted by the US House speaker, Mike Johnson.

Speaking at the event, Trump said the “Irish spirit is truly alive and thriving in America”.

The president met Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, Northern Ireland Assembly Speaker Edwin Poots and Communities Minister Gordon Lyons.

Speaking to BBC Newsline after the meeting, Little-Pengelly said she had a good conversation with the president about the US and NI’s “long-standing relationship” and his keenness to work together.

However, she added, Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill “should have been here”.

“I’m sure Michelle O’Neill would say she doesn’t think that I should have been here but of course it’s a joint office and I’m here representing the Northern Ireland government,” she said.

“I believe that it’s incredibly important to show up, turn up and speak up and that’s the key thing that I will always do.”

Prior to the meeting, Martin attended a breakfast hosted by Vice-President JD Vance.

Speaking at the breakfast he said that the US “has been a steadfast friend of Ireland for centuries”.

He said the peace process was a “signature achievement of US foreign policy”, adding that Ireland is “ready to play our part in supporting work to end conflict and to secure peace in the Ukraine or in the Middle East or wherever”.

Martin welcomed the “progress that has clearly been made” as a result of the Trump administration’s “unrelenting focus and effort” to secure peace.

Vance described the US-Ireland relationship as “one of the great alliances and great friendships between nations”.

He added that Ireland is a country with “incredible community… beautiful landscape and also a lot of interesting technological growth”.

“One of the more robust areas for us to work on with our Irish friends in the years to come is going to be technology and particularly artificial intelligence,” he said.

The taoiseach was the first EU leader to return to the Oval Office since the president’s bust-up with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The bilateral meeting came amid heightened concern over the future of Ireland’s economy, which is heavily reliant on US multinationals.

Trump sees this as a trade imbalance and is keen to entice those companies back to the US.

However, Martin said he would use his visit to the Oval Office to highlight an “increasingly two-way” trade and investment relationship.

Speaking ahead of Martin’s visit to the Oval Office, Democrat member of the House of Representatives Brendan Boyle told BBC News NI’s The View that “what the Trump administration is doing with respect to tariffs makes no economic sense, and it makes no sense in terms of our national security”.

Boyle said that imposing tariffs on Canada suggests that no country is “safe fully from this sort of madness”, including Ireland.

He added that Martin should “remind President Trump that Ireland, despite its small size, is one of the largest investors in the United States and one of the largest job creators in the United States”.

“On the one hand, [Trump] likes to say, you know, we’re the best, he’s the best, He’s the greatest. Everything is a superlative.

“But then in the next breath, he says, we’re suckers, we’re losers, we’re being taken advantage of by every other country.”

The two leaders are meeting as part of the Irish government’s traditional St Patrick’s Day series of engagements.

Earlier, Martin attended a breakfast hosted by Vice-President JD Vance.

Speaking at the breakfast he said that US “has been a steadfast friend of Ireland for centuries”.

He said the peace process was a “signature achievement of US foreign policy”, adding that Ireland is “ready to play our part in supporting work to end conflict and to secure peace in the Ukraine or in the Middle East or wherever”.

Martin welcomed the “progress that has clearly been made” as a result of the Trump administration’s “unrelenting focus and effort” to secure peace.

Vance described the US-Ireland relationship as “one of the great alliances and great friendships between nations”.

He added that Ireland is a country with “incredibly community… beautiful landscape and also a lot of interesting technological growth”.

“One of the more robust areas for us to work on with our Irish friends in the years to come is going to be technology and particularly artificial intelligence,” he said.

The taoiseach is the first EU leader to return to the Oval Office since the president’s bust-up with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Discussions are expected to cover a broad range of issues, including the deep ties between the US and Ireland, shared global challenges, including the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, as well as the two countries’ economic relationship.

The bilateral meeting comes amid heightened concern over the future of Ireland’s economy, which is heavily reliant on US multinationals.

Trump sees this as a trade imbalance and is keen to entice those companies back to the US.

The taoiseach arrived at the White House hours after the EU announced it will impose counter tariffs on €26 billion ($28bn) worth of US goods from next month.

The move is in retaliation to Trump’s 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports into the US, which came into effect overnight.

However, Martin said he would use his visit to the Oval Office to highlight an “increasingly two-way” trade and investment relationship.

“Ireland is the sixth-largest source of foreign direct investment in the US, supporting hundreds and thousands of jobs across the US,” he said.

“This substantial investment underscores the commitment of Irish enterprises to the US market and reflects a deepening economic interdependence between the two countries.”

The meeting is also an opportunity for the taoiseach to update Trump on the situation in Northern Ireland, recognising the huge contribution the US has made to securing peace.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill will not be heading to the White House as she is boycotting the St Patrick’s Day festivities there due to Trump’s stance on Gaza.

However, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly will be at the White House reception on Wednesday and is likely to meet Trump.

The two executive ministers led a delegation to North Carolina earlier in the week alongside representatives from Queen’s University Belfast, Invest NI, Catalyst and Software NI.

NI Chamber CEO Suzanne Wylie said the visit was part of a long-term process and they would be inviting a trade mission back to Northern Ireland in the summer from North Carolina.

However, there has been more geopolitical uncertainty this year than last year, including President Trump’s introduction of some tariffs.

She said that while there was uncertainty across the globe right now, “businesses really just want to create the relationships and get on with doing business with each other and continue to look for further investment in some of our innovative companies”.

Speaking to BBC News NI ahead of the meeting between Trump and Martin, Democrat member of the House of Representatives Brendan Boyle said that “what the Trump administration is doing with respect to tariffs makes no economic sense, and it makes no sense in terms of our national security”.

Boyle said that imposing tariffs on Canada suggests that no country is “safe fully from this sort of madness”, including Ireland.

He added that Martin should “remind President Trump that Ireland, despite its small size, is one of the largest investors in the United States and one of the largest job creators in the United States”.

“On the one hand, [Trump] likes to say, you know, we’re the best, he’s the best, He’s the greatest. Everything is a superlative.

“But then in the next breath, he says, we’re suckers, we’re losers, we’re being taken advantage of by every other country.”

Boyle said that Ireland “punches well above its weight” in terms of investment in the United states, and reminding Trump of that “would go a long way”.

This will be the tightest of political tightropes for Micheál Martin.

He’s got a €50bn (£42bn) tax treasure chest to protect and can’t afford any slip ups.

His moment of jeopardy may come when President Trump invites questions from the press.

Pressure points include tariffs and Dublin’s perceived anti-Israel bias.

Luckily for the taoiseach the move towards a ceasefire in Ukraine and the resumption of US military aid may dominate the questions.

Trading relationships and tariffs may be one for another day.

The taoiseach had hoped the move towards a ceasefire in Ukraine and the resumption of US military aid would have dominate the questions

But the EU decision to hit back in the looming tariff war imposing €26bn on US imports could put a strain on discussions in Whitehouse

It has nothing to do with high politics or indeed St Patrick’s Day celebrations – rather, it was coined by a sports commentator during the 1990 World Cup in Italy as the Republic of Ireland performed beyond expectations to progress to the quarter finals.

Now, 35 years later, it could be an apt description once more of how the people of Ireland are feeling as the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin goes to the White House to meet the US President Donald Trump for the annual St Patrick’s week celebrations.

The outcome of the recent visit by the Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House is the backdrop this year.

And it comes with ongoing concern in Ireland about the impact of new US tariffs on the Irish economy.

Historically few people outside of Ireland and the Irish diaspora have paid much attention to the annual St Patrick’s week event.

It’s part of celebrations to honour Ireland’s patron saint, St Patrick.

The symbolism comes by way of the taoiseach presenting the sitting US President with a bowl of shamrock, a nod to St Patrick’s religious association with the green trefoil, which – along with the harp – is one of two official Irish state symbols.

Most of the serious conversations – traditionally about matters such as Irish-American relations and the peace process as well as sharing views on any relevant global matters of the moment – normally take place away from prying eyes and ears.

Les Devlin told BBC News NI that it was great to have access to the White House but added that he “wouldn’t be leaving without getting a comment across” and getting “something out of it”.

“It’s huge access, when you think of the world leaders who have been there over the last few weeks, to have that avenue,” he said.

“But I have a funny feeling he’s going to go over there and it’s a bit of a nod and a wink to Ireland type of thing and for Trump it’s all about just the Irish vote.

“But I definitely think we shouldn’t leave without getting our say in.”

Mr Devlin said it was important to “stand up” to Trump.

“He has a golf resort here and I’d like to remind him of that,” he added.

Michelle O’Connell said the meeting was “the right thing to do from a diplomatic perspective” and also “showcases Ireland”.

She said she hoped the taoiseach will get a “better reception” than Zelensky and “the door won’t be closed to us”.

“Hopefully, again, we’ll have a good relationship with the States. They’ve always been good to us from a trade perspective and we would like to keep that going.”

The Irish public normally sees the event in fairly simple terms – a meet and greet to celebrate St Patrick’s Day and all it means to Ireland and Irish Americans.

This time it’s different.

The fallout from the recent visit of Zelensky to the White House has changed things.

Since then, the impending meeting has been featuring prominently across television, radio, newspaper, and social media platforms in Ireland.

Many are taking some comfort from a widely held view, domestically and internationally, that Martin is experienced and skilled at diplomatic relations.

But if Martin or his advisors were aware of the commentary at home, their trip across the Atlantic would have been weighed down with a plethora of advice about what to do or not to do, and what to say or not say, during his meeting with Trump.

The meeting comes amid widespread concern in Ireland about the new US administration’s view on tax and tariffs and how this could potentially pose a risk to the Irish economy which has a high dependency on the jobs and taxes generated by the inward investment of big US tech and pharmaceutical companies.

This matters because these firms employ a lot of Irish people, many of whom are young and highly educated, and either work from home or travel to bigger towns and cities to work for these companies.

Then, there’s the unprecedented global interest in this meeting as Martin becomes the first European leader to visit the White House since the Ukrainian president left the building early.

How will the taoiseach handle such delicate geopolitical issues such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the Trump administration’s views on a range of issues relating to the European Union?

The Irish government has been fierce in its criticism of Israel over its actions in Gaza, which led to the Israeli government’s decision to close its embassy in Ireland.

But, in particular, Irish people at home and around the world desperately want this meeting to “pass off without incident” and to continue the historical upward trajectory of previous St Patrick’s week celebrations at the White House.

In the past that has traditionally resulted in the renewal and strengthening of Irish-US social, political, and economic relations.

That’s the hope again this time, but there is no doubt that many people here in Ireland are unusually anxious about this particular St Patrick’s week meeting.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Irish Cabinet approved draft legislation to change the rules that govern how its military can be used abroad.

The reforms include changes to what it known as ‘the triple lock’, requiring the approval of the United Nations (UN), government and Dáil (lower house of Irish parliament) for certain troop deployments.

Under existing rules, 12 members of the Irish Defence Forces can be sent on an overseas mission without triggering the lock.

The proposed change would mean removing the need for UN approval and raising to 50 the number of troops that can be deployed without sign off from the Dáil.

Speaking to Irish broadcaster RTÉ’s Six One news programme, Simon Harris said the removal of the triple lock system is about “sovereignty”.

“We have a very proud track record in the country of peacekeeping,” he added.

“But the idea that any permanent member of the security council can have a veto, including Vladimir Putin, on where our defence forces go is not democratic.”

The foreign affairs minister said it was “important” for decisions on peacekeeping to be taken in Ireland.

Asked if the removal of the triple lock threatened Ireland’s policy of military neutrality, Harris said that was something “extraordinarily important” to the Irish people.

“We do also need to spend more on defence because actually when you are militarily neutral, you still have an obligation to your own people, to your own country, you still have an obligation to protect your own seas and your own skies,” he said.

“We are in an era now of significant investment in defence… but all of that very much aligned with military neutrality.”

Earlier, Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheál Martin said that Russia and China should not have a veto on where Irish troops are sent.

“This is about exercising our own sovereignty,” he added.

Sinn Féin have described the move as an “abandonment” of Ireland’s policy of neutrality.

Sinn Féin TD (MP) Pearse Doherty said “the Irish people are against it”, and called for a referendum on the issue.

The move comes as the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans to give member states more fiscal space for defence investments, as well as €150 billion (£124bn) in loans for those investments.

Earlier on Tuesday, the US announced it would pause military aid to Ukraine.

“We are in an era of rearmament, and Europe is massively ready to boost its defence spending, both to respond to the short-term urgency to act and to support Ukraine, but also to address the long-term need to take on more responsibility for our own European security,” von der Leyen said.

Earlier, Brig Gen Rossa Mulcahy was appointed as the next Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces.

Announcing the appointment, the Defence Forces said that Brig Gen Mulcahy has more than 35 years of experience across a variety of roles, both at home and overseas.

He has served in deployments to Lebanon, Syria and Afghanistan with the United Nations and NATO.

Since 2021, he has held the role of assistant chief of staff and he is due to take up the new appointment on 1 June.

The announcement follows the Irish government’s nomination of the outgoing chief, Seán Clancy, as chair of the EU Military Committee.

In his current role, Brig Gen Mulcahy has responsibility for a range of organisational issues including; organisation transformation, capability development, innovation, risk management, corporate governance, and industrial relations.

He holds bachelor’s degrees from the National University of Ireland Galway and University College Dublin, and a master’s degree in Leadership Management and Defence Studies.

He is a graduate of the Defence Forces’s Senior Command and Staff Course and the US Army Command and General Staff College.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that Brig Gen Mulcahy will be appointed for a minimum of two years, during which time major changes to the Defence Forces’s command structures are set to be introduced.

This includes a new position of chief of defence, which Brig Gen Mulcahy will be eligible to apply for.

Under new plans, the chief of defence will have military control with clearer statutory roles and responsibilities, and more clarity in the defined roles of the Department of Defence and Defence Forces.

In January, Judge Alex Owens ordered the former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter not to share the footage and to give back or destroy any copies.

The judge said the jury in the civil trial conclusively determined Mr McGregor raped Ms Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.

He said it was not open to McGregor to selectively use evidence in the public arena to suit himself.

The footage showed McGregor, Ms Hand and two others, James Lawrence and Danielle Kealy, in the car park and lift of the Beacon Hotel in Dublin, before and after McGregor assaulted Ms Hand.

It was played to the court on multiple occasions during the trial and viewed by the jury during their deliberations.

McGregor had claimed Ms Hand did not look like someone who had been seriously assaulted in the footage.

Ms Hand became very upset when it was shown in court and said she was clearly very drunk in the footage.

On Thursday, Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that lawyers for Ms Hand asked the judge to issue an injunction against McGregor, which they said would further restrain him from publishing or sharing the footage.

Ms Hand’s senior counsel, John Gordon, said McGregor was not clear enough in his affidavits to the court and that he would have expected McGregor to address a specific issue about causing anybody to receive the footage.

Mr Gordon referred to a newspaper article which referenced a claim by an Italian business associate of McGregor, Gabriel Ernesto Rapisarda, who claimed after the trial that the imminent release of the footage would increase sales of McGregor’s stout.

However, the judge said he had to rely on affidavits from people and, according to McGregor’s affidavit, he had taken the steps asked of him and that any urgency in January had now blown over.

The judge said McGregor was the “author of his own misfortune” by sharing a social media post and that he was satisfied with the affidavits.

Senior counsel Remy Farrell, for McGregor, agreed with the judge that his client had done everything he was asked to do.

The judge awarded costs for this action against McGregor.

Ms Hand, who accused McGregor of raping her, took a claim against him and another man, Mr Lawrence, for damages in a civil case.

In the Irish courts, a civil action means – unlike a criminal case – there is no automatic anonymity for either the complainant or the accused.

McGregor was ordered to pay her more than €248,000 (£206,000) in damages after a jury found he had sexually assaulted Ms Hand.

The jury found that Mr Lawrence did not assault her.

Speaking outside the court following the decision, Ms Hand said her story was “a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be to speak up, you have a voice”.

A judge later ruled that the MMA star must pay Ms Hand’s legal costs.

Last month, McGregor lodged an appeal against the judgment that he assaulted Ms Hand.

Alan Vial and Nikita Burns, were convicted of murdering 66-year-old Robert Wilkin by majorities of 10 to two at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on Thursday.

The pair were sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday.

Vial, 39, of Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, County Donegal and Burns, 23, from An Charraig, County Donegal, both denied the murder.

The body of Mr Wilkin, who was also known as Robin, was found in the sea at the bottom of the cliffs at Slieve League along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way eight days after he was murdered.

During the sentencing hearing, a statement on behalf of Mr Wilkin’s family described the time since his murder as “an agonising journey filled with grief, denial and undoubtedly anger”.

The statement, read to the court by Mr Wilkin’s sister Irene McAleer on behalf of herself, her brother David and sister Marie, stated that “the brutal nature of his death is something that none of us will ever come to terms with”.

Commenting on her daily attendance at the trial at Dublin’s Central Criminal Court, Mrs McAleer said “nothing or no one could have prepared me for the evil and harrowing details”.

Her statement added: “To sit in the same room with those two cold, calculating individuals has been so difficult.

“The fact neither of these individuals have shown a grain of remorse has been very overwhelming at times.”

Her family also paid tribute to the Garda (Irish police) investigation into the murder of their brother and thanked key witnesses “for their bravery in coming forward and appearing in court”.

Ms McAleer also added: “I’d like to take this opportunity to declare that contrary to reports that Robin was estranged from his family, he was in fact just travelling his own path and had lost regular contact with us, as many siblings do.

“Robin’s callous and unnecessary murder has deprived us all the chance to reconnect now that our own lives are slowing down,” she said.

The statement concluded: “As a family, this isn’t the end for us. Our grieving will begin now in whichever way we can navigate through it.”Mr Wilkin’s sister, Irene McAleer, read a statement out on behalf of herself, her brother David and sister Marie.

Mr Wilkin and his two killers had only known each other for a number of weeks.

They had spent an evening drinking together in local pubs in the hours before his murder.

After leaving a pub in the village of Dunkineely they were driving back to Vial’s home, where all three had lived together at times, when a row broke out and Mr Wilkin was beaten on the head with a rock.

He was then driven about 14 miles along the coastline to the renowned Slieve League cliffs.

During the murder trial, Vial explained what happened when he admitted that he drove to Slieve League “to get rid of the body” in the early hours of the morning.

“We got him up onto the fence and then we dropped him to the other side, and he rolled from there off the edge of the cliff,” he said.

The killer, who was described by his barrister during the trial as “a petty criminal and an alcoholic”, also said they returned to the scene twice to see if the body was visible or “if anyone had noticed anything”.

The court heard that Burns had “a difficult upbringing”.

The search for Robin Wilkin’s body led to a complex and challenging week-long air, sea and land search and recovery operation before his body could eventually be recovered from the treacherous Atlantic waters along the Slieve League cliffs.

The recovery of his body ensured that his two killers failed in their attempt to get away with murder.

Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday declaring March “Irish-American Heritage Month”.

March has been designated Irish-American Heritage Month every year since 1991, first by a law passed by Congress, and since 1997 by presidential proclamation.

In the proclamation, Trump said the month will “commemorate the special bond of friendship between the United States and Ireland” and “honor the extraordinary contributions of Irish-American citizens past and present”.

Signing the proclamation, the president said the Irish were “great people”, adding: “They voted for me in heavy numbers so I like them even more.”

The proclamation describes Irish-Americans as “some of the toughest, most driven, and most devoted people on the face of the Earth”.

“Their faith in God, love of family, and indelible commitment to our national promise continue to inspire citizens all across our country.”

It is a month dedicated to recognising the contribution of Irish immigrants and their descendents to American society.

Every year, the US president issues a proclamation to mark the occasion.

Cultural events, exhibits and other educational programmes take place each March to highlight the achievements of Irish-Americans.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, millions of Irish immigrants moved from Ireland to the cities of Boston, Chicago, and New York “in hopes of a new frontier of opportunity and a better future for their families”, the proclamation says.

It emphasises that Irish-Americans have played “a crucial role” in the “great American story” by “courageously overcoming adversity and hardship to embolden our culture, enliven our spirit, and fortify our way of life”.

Irish-Americans have “fought for our freedom on the battlefield, served in our halls of government, and pioneered legendary businesses – leaving a lasting mark on their communities and our national identity”, the proclamation continues.

“The United States and Ireland also enjoy a long friendship strengthened by economic ties, a shared commitment to democracy, and the timeless values of faith, family, and freedom.

“As my administration works to correct trade imbalances with the European Union, our historic relationship with Ireland presents an opportunity to advance fairer trade policies and stronger investment opportunities that benefit both nations.”

Traditionally politicians from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland take part in engagements in the US around St Patrick’s Day.

This usually culminates in the taoiseach (Irish prime minister) presenting a bowl of shamrock to the US president in the Oval Office.

Martin’s meeting with Trump is scheduled to take place on 12 March, five days before St Patrick’s Day.

Martin has said he will tell Trump that trade tariffs could cause damage to a “small open economy” like Ireland, according to Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

Speaking to reporters in Dublin, Martin said that he “will give our perspective” on the issue at the White House.

The taoiseach said there was “a two-way” nature to the economic relationship between Ireland and the United States and that he will listen to President Trump’s perspective.

The Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has confirmed she will also travel to Washington DC for the St Patrick’s Day celebrations.

However, Sinn Féin has said it will not attend the annual festivities over Trump’s stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long told her party’s annual conference they were “taking a stand” by not attending, and Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader Claire Hanna said her party would also decline an invitation.