Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald continues boycott of White House events for St Patrick's Day

Sinn Féin has confirmed it will continue its boycott of St. Patrick's Day events at the White House this year, a decision first made last year in protest over the US administration's support for Israel during the conflict in Gaza. Party Leader Mary Lou McDonald has confirmed she will not be attending the events.

In a statement on Monday, McDonald stressed the importance of Sinn Féin using its platform to "demand that international law is upheld," citing the "dire" situation in Gaza and the West Bank and the continuation of Israeli attacks despite ceasefire talks.

"Sinn Féin will not attend St. Patrick’s Day events at the White House this year,” said McDonald. “The genocide continues. Civilians are still being killed. Homes are still being struck. Families who have already lost everything continue to live under fire. Peace in Palestine must mean the end of occupation, the end of apartheid-like systems of control, and the full realisation of a sovereign Palestinian state."

"The Good Friday Agreement has shown the world that it is possible to move out of conflict into a permanent peace," she continued. "It is important that the eyes of the international community remain focused on what is happening in Palestine, and it is important that Sinn Féin uses its voice to demand that international law is upheld and peace and justice prevail."

"The ties between the people of Ireland and the United States are of key importance," she continued. "Sinn Féin has deep and enduring bonds that go back decades with those in the United States who played a key role in the peace process and in the campaign for Irish reunification. Sinn Féin will continue that work with senior representatives on Capitol Hill, the trade union movement, business leaders, Irish American organisations and the diaspora.”

The move comes as the Taoiseach Micheál Martin is scheduled to visit Washington D.C., as part of the annual diplomatic St. Patrick's Day drive, where he will meet Donald Trump. Last year, Martin who met the US president in the Oval Office, described Sinn Féin's boycott as a "big mistake."

Although Sinn Féin representatives will not attend the White House events, the party has previously engaged in a series of meetings in Washington D.C. during the same week.