1 week Ago By [email protected] (Louise Burne)
Hollywood comedian Rosie O’Donnell wrote to Taoiseach Micheál Martin to “apologise for any issues or discomfort” he felt when she was brought up during his St Patrick’s Day meeting with US President Donald Trump. Under correspondence released to the Irish Mirror under the Freedom of Information Act, Ms O’Donnell explained her long-running feud with the President and told Mr Martin she would “love to meet” him. She quipped: “I can guarantee one thing, it wouldn't be boring.
” Ms O’Donnell moved to Ireland in mid-January after Mr Trump was elected for a second term as US President. When the Taoiseach was in the White House meeting Trump on March 12, one reporter asked why he would allow Ms O’Donnell to move to Ireland as she would “lower your happiness levels.” During an appearance on RTÉ’s The Late Late Show last month, Ms O’Donnell stated she wrote to Mr Martin about the incident.
The March 19 letter, obtained by the Irish Mirror, showed the American talk show host apologise to the Taoiseach. She said: “I am writing to you today to apologize for any issues or discomfort the mentioning of my name may have caused in your meeting with the current President of the United States. "As I am sure you are now aware, he and I have had a long history of animosity due to my calling out his stances and behavior over the past 20 something years.
I am sorry that my desire to relocate to Ireland gave him a chance to drag you into this discussion.” Ms O’Donnell informed the Taoiseach that she is an “actress and a political activist”. She explained how her “political causes have run the gamete from children's rights, women's rights and gay rights in the United States”.
She also noted she is an “advocate against the on-going carnage in Gaza”. She continued: “All of these stances and more are what raised the ire of Mr Trump along with my noting his personal and business behavior.” Ms O’Donnell explained she moved to Ireland due to her “genealogy and my familiarity with the Homeland” as she explained the “O'Donnell's [sic] are 100% Irish” and are mostly from Tyrone and Monaghan, “with one branch from Meath and Waterford”.
She explained she first visited Ireland with her siblings in 1973 following the death of her mother. Mr O’Donnell said the “acceptance and friendship” she had received from Irish people since moving to Ireland had been “astonishing if not familiar”, noting the “openness and helpfulness has made it already feel like home to my daughter and I”. As she told the Taoiseach she wanted to make Ireland her home, Ms O’Donnell said she would “love” to meet him “in person at some point if you have the interest and the time”.
She concluded: “I can guarantee one thing, it wouldn't be boring as I have a lot of good stories. Thank you for your time and I again apologize for the drama (I know, words one never hears from an actor). She signed off the letter with “o chroi” or “from the heart”.
Mr Martin’s office acknowledged the letter, but no response had been sent by March 24. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here..
