Editing Foreign relations of Ireland (section)

===United States===

[[File:Embassy of Ireland in Washington DC.jpg|thumb|left|220px|Embassy of Ireland to the US, in [[Washington, D.C.]]]]

{{Main|Ireland–United States relations}}

{{see also|United States Ambassador to Ireland|Embassy of the United States in Dublin|Deerfield Residence|l3=United States Ambassador's Official Residence in Dublin}}

The United States recognised the [[Irish Free State]] on 28 June 1924 with diplomatic relations being established on 7 October 1924. In 1927, the United States opened an American Legation in Dublin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://history.state.gov/countries/ireland|title=Ireland – Countries – Office of the Historian|website=History.state.gov|access-date=15 January 2018|archive-date=31 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731195955/https://history.state.gov/countries/ireland|url-status=live}}</ref> Due to the ancestral ties between the two countries, Ireland and the US have a strong relationship, both politically and economically, with the US being Ireland's biggest trading partner since 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://atlas.media.mit.edu/explore/tree_map/export/irl/show/all/2000/ |title=Ireland Trade Visualization |publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology |access-date=28 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029224716/http://atlas.media.mit.edu/explore/tree_map/export/irl/show/all/2000/ |archive-date=29 October 2013 }}</ref> Ireland also receives more [[foreign direct investment]] from the US than many larger nations, with investments in Ireland equal to [[France]] and [[Germany]] combined and, in 2012, more than all of developing Asia put together.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Ireland-ranked-as-fourth-largest-destination-for-investment-from-US-companies-226732881.html | title=Ireland ranked as fourth largest destination for investment from US companies | publisher=Irish Central | date=7 October 2013 | access-date=28 October 2013 | archive-date=23 October 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221023160230/https://www.irishcentral.com/news/Ireland-ranked-as-fourth-largest-destination-for-investment-from-US-companies-226732881.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

The use of [[Shannon Airport]] as a stop-over point for [[Military of the United States|US forces]] en route to [[Iraq]] has caused domestic controversy in Ireland. Opponents of this policy brought an unsuccessful [[High Court (Ireland)|High Court]] case against the government in 2003, arguing that this use of Irish airspace violated [[Irish neutrality]].<ref>[http://www.bailii.org/ie/cases/IEHC/2003/64.html Horgan v. An Taoiseach & others IEHC 64 (28 April 2003)] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120718103838/http://www.bailii.org/ie/cases/IEHC/2003/64.html |date=18 July 2012 }}&nbsp;— High Court judgement in the unsuccessful case brought by Ed Horgan</ref> Restrictions such as carrying no arms, ammunition, or explosives, and that the flights in question did not form part of military exercises or operations were put in place to defend Irish neutrality, however, allegations have been made against the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] that the airport has been used between 30 and 50 times for illegal [[extraordinary rendition]] flights to the U.S. without the knowledge of the Irish Government, despite diplomatic assurances by the US that Irish airspace would not be used for transport of detainees.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/us-report-accuses-ireland-of-collusion-in-extraordinary-rendition-flights-583676.html | title=US report accuses Ireland of collusion in 'extraordinary rendition' flights | publisher=BreakingNews.ie | date=5 February 2013 | access-date=28 October 2013 | archive-date=21 October 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021070827/https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/us-report-accuses-ireland-of-collusion-in-extraordinary-rendition-flights-583676.html | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Simon Carswell |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/bush-assured-irish-state-shannon-not-used-for-rendition-flights-1.2045744 |title=Bush assured Irish State Shannon not used for rendition flights |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=2014-12-22 |access-date=2020-05-11 |archive-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929120114/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/bush-assured-irish-state-shannon-not-used-for-rendition-flights-1.2045744 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In July 2006, the former Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, [[Dermot Ahern]] voiced concern over the [[2006 Lebanon War]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0726/mideast1.html|title=Israeli envoy to pass on Irish concerns|work=[[RTÉ]]|access-date=27 July 2006|date=27 July 2006|archive-date=23 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221023005655/https://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0726/mideast1.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A shipment of bombs being sent to [[Israel]] by the United States was banned using Irish airspace or airfields.<ref name="scotsman-20060730">{{cite news | title=Irish refused bombs sent to Prestwick airport | work=The Scotsman | url=http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1104532006 | date=30 July 2006 | location=Edinburgh | first1=Eddie | last1=Barnes | first2=Murdo | last2=Macleod | access-date=5 August 2019 | archive-date=28 July 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728135211/http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1104532006 | url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1995 a decision was made by the U.S. government to appoint a [[United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland|Special Envoy]] to Northern Ireland to help with the [[Northern Ireland peace process]]. During the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 presidential campaign in the United States]], however, Democratic Party candidate [[Barack Obama]] was reported as having questioned the necessity to keep a US Special Envoy for Northern Ireland. His remarks caused an uproar within the Republican Party, with Senator [[John McCain]] questioning his leadership abilities and his commitment to the ongoing peace process in Northern Ireland.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://republican-news.org/current/news/2008/09/obama_seeks_to_recover_from_ir.html | title=Obama seeks to recover from Irish blunder | publisher=Republican News | date=5 September 2008 | access-date=28 October 2013 | archive-date=5 December 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205202834/https://republican-news.org/current/news/2008/09/obama_seeks_to_recover_from_ir.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

{{As of|2023}}, [[Geraldine Byrne Nason]] is the Irish ambassador to the United States while the position of U.S. ambassador to Ireland is held by [[Claire D. Cronin]].