St Patrick’s Day can become political in a town such as Brussels. Someone will invariably begin a playful row over whether beans, a staple of a full Irish, belong in an Ulster fry. Belgian police investigating alleged corruption and attempts to bribe MEPs raided the offices of the Chinese tech giant on the eve of the St Patrick’s Day fry. The Department of Foreign Affairs is well versed in using St Patrick’s Day receptions to leverage soft power and project the image of the easy-going, friendly Irish. The softer power associated with St Patrick’s Day events was “something we shouldn’t take for granted”, Kelly says.

Source: The Irish Times March 12, 2026 15:02 UTC