Remarks by the President, the Vice President and the Taoiseach of Ireland at St. Patrick’s Day Reception

7:47 P.M. EDT

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Good evening, everyone.  Mr. President, Mrs. Obama, the Taoiseach, Mrs. Cowen.  Welcome to the White House and welcome, all of you, to the White House.

You know, as I said to some of my friends at the Vice President’s residence this morning at a breakfast, there’s an old saying — there’s an old saying that goes like this:  If you’re lucky enough to be Irish, well, you’re lucky enough.  (Laughter and applause.)

I was telling the Taoiseach earlier today, one of my favorite cartoons to explain to the Irish-Irish what we American-Irish are like was one handed to me, Mr. President, by Pat Moynihan about 15, 18 years ago.  It was The New Yorker Magazine and it was a picture of Pat and Mike sitting in a pub in New York.  And Pat looks at Mike and says, “Mike, don’t you wish you were in a pub in Dublin wishing you were in a pub in New York?”  (Laughter.)  You understand that about us, you got it all straight, Taoiseach.

But the Taoiseach knows a lot about it.  His mom lived in Long Island for 10 years or so — God rest her soul and — although, wait, your mom is still alive, it’s your dad passed.  God bless her soul.  (Laughter