NI delegation arrives in Washington for St Patrick's Day

Four Stormont Ministers have arrived in Washington ahead of St Patrick's Day celebrations this week.

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has been joined by fellow DUP Ministers Paul Givan and Gordon Lyons while Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has also made the trip along with his Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows.

Secretary of State Hillary Benn and PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher have also travelled to Washington.

For the second year in a row First Minister Michelle O'Neill is boycotting the White House celebrations because of the US government's support for Israeli attacks on Gaza.

"The situation in Gaza is so serious that this is not the time to engage in celebrations in the White House," she said when announcing her decision.

But Little-Pengelly has criticised O'Neill's boycott, describing it as a "missed opportunity".

She said "whatever your views of the president, when you have access to such an influential office you should not pass it up".

The deputy first minister is due to meet President Trump in the White House on Tuesday during the St Patrick's Day reception.

Little-Pengelly plans to talk up the strong investment links with the US and remind the president of the role figures from Northern Ireland played during the Declaration of American Independence 250 years ago.

The anniversary of that key moment in American history will feature throughout the week with Communities Minister Gordon Lyons hosting a reception to celebrate the links with Northern Ireland.

The Ulster American Connection event on Wednesday will remember such figures as John Dunlap from Strabane who printed the first copies of the declaration and at least three signatories who were also from Northern Ireland.

But the St Patrick's Day festivities will be overshadowed this week by the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin is under pressure from his political opponents to raise concerns about the conflict when he holds talks with President Trump in the Oval office on Tuesday.

Martin has been criticised for not joining Irish President Catherine Connolly who has said the war is illegal. She described the conflict as a "brutal assault on international law".

So far the Irish government has been less explicit, opting instead to say there is no UN mandate for the war.

There was only a fleeting mention of the war in a statement issued by the Irish government ahead of the Washington trip when the taoiseach said he planned to discuss how "Ireland and the EU can work with the United States to reach peaceful resolutions in the Middle East and Ukraine".

But the taoiseach has said he plans to raise the conflict with the US president.

After the meeting in the Oval office Martin will join the Stormont ministers at the annual House Speaker's lunch on Capitol Hill, before attending the main St Patrick's Day reception in the White House where he will present President Trump with a bowl of shamrocks.

Business leaders from Northern Ireland have also travelled to Washington and will be attending events such as the Northern Ireland Bureau breakfast and the Ireland Fund dinner.

It will be the tale of two wars this week.

Remembering how one ended 250 years ago and how another started 17 days ago.

Politicians north and south will want to focus on the former but know most of the questions will deal with the latter.

The crunch moment will come when the taoiseach sits alongside President Trump fielding questions in the Oval office.

Will he risk the wrath of the US president by describing the conflict as "illegal" or will he diplomatically tip toe around that minefield?

Judging on past performances in the Oval expect a sidestep from the taoiseach as he aims to emerge unscathed from what has become a place of great jeopardy.