A WHIRLWIND American tour has put Enda Kenny’s name on many American lips this St Patrick’s Day weekend, but not always in the right way. Three times his hosts at Notre Dame University tried – and failed – to get the Taoiseach’s name right at a dinner in his honour.
Mr Kenny jetted down to the home of America’s leading Catholic university in South Bend, Indiana, on Saturday afternoon, having led the Chicago parade in sweltering heat in the morning.
On arrival, he was introduced in the university library to a select group of VIPs as “Taoiseach Enda Kelly”. When no one batted an eyelid, including Mr Kenny, he was again referred to as “Mr Kelly”.
His hosts got his surname right in time for the prayer before dinner, but tripped up by referring to him as “Edna Kenny”.
It isn’t the first time that Americans have struggled to get his name and gender right; the New York Times referred to him as a female after his election a year ago, while the Boston Globe mistakenly referred to him as Edna in an online article last month.
Mr Kenny was unperturbed by the slip-up at the university, which has long historical links with Ireland and 400 students on an Irish studies programme.
The Taoiseach recalled that former Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald was a frequent visitor to the college. So was Éamon de Valera, although he wasn’t mentioned by Mr Kenny.
Problems with his name aside, the trip across the American midwest went smoothly. Using every speaking opportunity to deliver his “Ireland is open for business” message, he was enthusiastically greeted by Irish- Americans and respectfully received by local leaders.
In the Windy City, where the Chicago river was turned green, a shillelagh-bearing Taoiseach walked a mile of the parade route with mayor and former Obama chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel.
