Washington's man in Dublin during one of the most tumultuous periods in Irish history was John D. Moore, ambassador from 1969 to 1975, a man of impeccable Irish-American credentials.
His grandfather was a Famine emigrant to the US, his father was closely associated with John Devoy and Clann na Gael in New York early in the century and was also a founder member of the Friends of Irish Freedom.
Before his appointment as ambassador to Ireland by president Nixon, Mr Moore had been a vice-president of the multinational W.R. Grace Corporation. He had represented its interests in more than 20 countries, especially South America.
He had also visited Ireland frequently on business and had a widespread acquaintance with leading business and political figures before arriving as ambassador. In 1967 he led the first US private investment mission to Ireland.
The Northern Ireland crisis was to dominate his period as ambassador but a big achievement was the signing of a civil aviation agreement which brought about an amicable settlement to the landing rights disagreement between the US and Ireland.