New Jersey businessman Edward Walsh, Donald Trump’s pick to be US ambassador to Ireland, has been confirmed by the US senate.
Mr Walsh was approved by US senators in a confirmation vote on Wednesday evening with American lawmakers voting 57 to 38 in his favour.
Eight Democratic senators, including Virginia’s Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket, and Minnesota’s Amy Klobuchar, joined the Republican side of the chamber in advancing the president’s nomination in the morning vote on a count of 60-37.
Those opposed to his appointment were comprised entirely of Democratic senators, along with the Vermont independent Bernie Sanders.
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Mr Walsh was introduced at his confirmation hearing last month by Senator Lindsey Graham, the Republican, as one of Trump’s closest friends.
“So, to our friends in Ireland you’re getting one of the closest friends that President Trump has and that will benefit you because when Ed picks up the phone President Trump will answer,” said Graham.
The construction company founder and philanthropist is a member and two-time champion player at the golf course Mr Trump owns in Bedminster, New Jersey.
In making the nomination, the US president described Mr Walsh as a “champion golfer” who would be “a very good asset for an ambassador to Ireland to have.”
Mr Walsh is understood to have a home in the US president’s Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The new ambassador is a graduate of Villanova University where he spent his first semester in hospital following a serious car crash.
He met his wife Lynn while at Villanova and the couple has three daughters, Rachel, Maggie and Anna, and two grandchildren.
The appointment will mark Mr Walsh’s first foray into diplomacy.
Among the issues raised at his confirmation hearing was the conviction, forwarded by a series of Republican lawmakers, that Ireland was “out of step’ with the United States in its relationship with Israel and its stance on Gaza.
Mr Walsh pledged to convey that sentiment when his role was made official.
“I do understand the issue, but I am really looking forward to diving into more detail,” Mr Walsh said. “President Trump has been very clear that Ireland is an ally and there’s no room for anti-Semitism throughout the world. It will definitely be a big part of my conversations with them. I hear you. I would be glad to meet you on it.”
Mr Walsh has strong family ties with Ireland. He said at his hearing that he anticipates helping both countries in “fostering even deeper collaboration that will drive economic growth, create jobs, and enhance prosperity for the United States and the great people of Ireland”.
