St. Patrick's Day at the White House Through the Years

St. Patrick's Day, observed each March 17, has long brought Irish leaders to the White House to present the president with shamrocks. The day held special meaning for John F. Kennedy as America’s first Irish‑Catholic president, and photographs across decades trace how the ceremony and its surroundings have changed.

The exchange dates to 1952, when Ireland’s ambassador John Hearne sent President Harry Truman a box of shamrocks. Subsequent visits included Irish Ambassador Thomas J. Kiernan presenting Kennedy with a basket of shamrocks and the Kennedy coat of arms in 1961; Ambassador William Patrick Fay pinning shamrocks to Richard Nixon in 1969 and gifting a Waterford crystal vase; and Garret FitzGerald giving Jimmy Carter a Waterford vase in 1977.

Ronald Reagan accepted the traditional shamrock gift and in 1986 even received a personalized shamrock from a man dressed as a leprechaun. Later ceremonies kept the custom alive: George H.W.

United States

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