Writing the annual St Patrick's Day greeting to the Taoiseach was one of the most boring tasks for a US president's speechwriter, President George W. Bush's recently-retired speechwriter and special adviser has said. Seán O'Driscoll, in New York, reports.
Mr Matthew Scully, who retired in August as senior speechwriter and special adviser to President Bush, said that the annual address to the Taoiseach while accepting a bowl of shamrock was almost as dreaded as the state of the union address.
Mr Scully said that a speechwriter could run out of ways to celebrate the great qualities of the Irish people or thank the Taoiseach for the bowl of shamrock. In an article in the New York Times, Mr Scully writes: "Almost as dreaded as drafting a state of the union, for example, are those yearly chores like writing remarks for the St Patrick's Day visit by the prime minister of Ireland. How many different ways can you accept a bowl of shamrock or celebrate the sterling qualities of the noble Irish people?"
Mr Scully was writing ahead of last night's state of the union address by the president.