Taoiseach Micheál Martin presented US president Donald Trump with a custom golf tee and marker set at a cost of nearly €735 during his visit to Washington DC for St Patrick’s Day last year.
The luxury item, which came in a personalised wooden box, was one of around 140 gifts worth a total of €5,709 given out by the Taoiseach during 2025, internal records have revealed.
They included a biography of Charles Haughey presented to former US senator George Mitchell last April, and 30 scented candles gifted to EU leaders at a cost of €934 during a visit to Brussels just before Christmas.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy received a bottle of Green Spot premium whiskey from Martin during a meeting at Shannon Airport in February 2025, along with a merino scarf worth €37.80.
The Ukrainian leader got another bottle of whiskey from the Taoiseach when they met again last December. On that occasion, it was a bottle of 12-year-old Redbreast costing €64, along with a boxed set of Galway Crystal whiskey glasses worth €45.
Zelenskiy was also presented with a statue of the Children of Lir, which cost €270, while his wife, Olena, was given a silver brooch worth €63 and a moss-green linen scarf from The Stable that also cost €63.
More than €2,700 was spent on gifts for Martin’s trip to Washington DC for St Patrick’s Day last year. The shamrock bowl alone cost €425, while first lady Melania Trump was given a Government harp brooch worth €148 and a Bord Bia hamper.
Vice-president JD Vance was presented with silver cufflinks valued at €185, while his wife, Usha, received a Meab Enamels silk scarf costing €55 and a Bord Bia hamper.
The vice-president’s three children, Vivek, Ewan and Mirabel, were given picture books titled Let’s See Ireland and The Salmon of Knowledge, as well as Paddy Pals teddies called Padraic the Farmer and Róisín the Dancer.
[ St Patrick’s Day trips: See which countries Ministers are visiting this yearOpens in new window ]
Martin also bought gifts for the staff of Blair House, where he stayed in Washington, as well as Trump’s chief of staff, the chief executive of the US Chamber of Commerce, along with a number of governors, congressmen and officials.
Former Garda commissioner Drew Harris was given a book titled Ireland’s Curious Places and a silver Government Buildings bookmark worth €68 around the time he announced his retirement last year.
Just before he was replaced as taoiseach by Martin in January 2025, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris gave his deputy leader, Helen McEntee, a silver Government Buildings brooch worth €68.
Aide-de-camp Comdt Claire Mortimer was given Dublin Crystal engraved coasters by Simon Harris in January 2025, as well as a Government Buildings soy candle, engraved wooden pens and a coffee mug by Micheál Martin in April.
Details of the gifts were released by the Department of the Taoiseach under the Freedom of Information Act.