No use crying over spilt stout: Taoiseach rallies after faux pas in Tokyo

Irish Examiner

19 hours ago

As the Taoiseach concluded his speech opening the new Ireland House in Tokyo, he reached under the table to grab two glasses of Guinness left for him.
While one of the glasses was successfully retrieved, in a slip, Micheál Martin knocked over the second and managed to spill most of its contents.
Acknowledging his faux pas, the Taoiseach said: 'It's the first time I've ever had to position two glasses of Guinness on a podium underneath. As I've just experienced, it's a very difficult thing to do."
Raising his one unsplit Guinness, the Taoiseach opted to cheers in both Irish and Japanese, with chants of 'sláinte' and 'kanpai' ringing out throughout the room.
However, earlier in the day, events went off without a hitch, with the booming sounds of Amhrán ná bhFiann ringing through the glass walls of the Kantei, the Japanese Prime Minister's official offices.
The Taoiseach had to try and hide his smile as he walked into the sweltering offices of the Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, clearly loving every moment of the pomp and ceremony of the place.
Soldiers and officers from the 302nd Military Police Company raised and lowered their bayonetted rifles with precision, with booming slams as the butts of the guns hit the floor in time.
It's not Micheál Martin's first rodeo in Japan, having visited the country four times previously.
The meeting with Mr Ishiba was cordial, with gathered diplomats and officials having donned green ties for the occasion. White-gloved attendants were sure to lash out cups of green tea, which the Prime Minister had been made aware is the Taoiseach's drink of choice, for each guest.
It was reported back that the Prime Minister opted to pump in Irish music during the meeting, with Enya among the artists played in the background. Glasses of Guinness and sake were available during the working lunch, with options of colcannon and sashimi also available.
Media were carefully corralled into the meeting room and were put under strict orders not to record the bilateral with their smartphones, leaving the photographers and cameramen alone to capture the moment.
It was striking, however, to see the comparatively few women on the Japanese delegation compared to the Irish one. Just one woman could be seen on the Japanese side, compared with five, not including the translator, attending for Ireland.
Opening of Ireland House
Mr Ishiba congratulated the Taoiseach on the opening of Ireland House – the new home of Ireland's embassy in Tokyo – three years on from Mr Martin turning the sod on the site.
A comparatively short turnaround time compared to many projects built at home, where cost overruns and delays are more typical. This was put to the Taoiseach, but he pushed back firmly, saying projects that run on time and on budget generally don't get the same level of coverage.
Unlike the money pit that is the National Children's Hospital, or the Cork Event Centre, where a brick has yet to be laid despite sods being turned almost a decade ago.
There was plenty of pomp and circumstance as the opening kicked off, with VIP guests like Princess Takamado of the Japanese Royal Family and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hisayuki Fujii.
Glasses of Guinness or Asahi were doled out to guests, while the Toyota Ceilí Band played sweetly in the background. Kozo Toyota, who starred in an ad for Smithwicks Ale in recent months, had his flute while Ria Adachi, a 15-year old harp prodigy, played alongside him.
The Taoiseach singled Ms Adachi out in his speech, praising her for taking home gold in the under-15 category of Harp Slow Airs at the 2024 Fleadh Ceoil in Wexford, the first Japanese person to win.
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