How Ireland became such a major player in the U.S. tech market

Ireland’s economic footprint in the United States is growing again. Irish companies are planning at least $6.1 billion in new investments in the U.S., expanding across industries including technology, manufacturing, and food and nutrition. The spending push, unfolding as the U.S. ramps up infrastructure for artificial intelligence and other energy-intensive technologies, reflects a deepening economic relationship between the two countries. The move was also touted in advance of the annual St. Patrick’s Day visit by Micheál Martin, Ireland’s taoiseach, or prime minister, to the White House, after calls by President Trump for foreign trading partners to invest in the United States.  Ireland’s longstanding ties to the United States—and the millions of Americans who claim Irish heritage—are a regular feature of mid-March political rhetoric. While Trump has pointed to Irish business investment and the number of U.S. presidents with Irish ancestry, New