List of ambassadors of the United States to Ireland

The United States Ambassador to Ireland is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary from the United States of America to Ireland. It is considered a highly prestigious position within the United States Foreign Service. The current ambassador is Edward F. Crawford.

Ambassador of the United States of America to Ireland
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Alexandra McKnight
Chargé d'Affaires
since January 19, 2021
ResidenceDeerfield Residence
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderFrederick A. Sterling (envoy)
George A. Garrett (amb.)
Formation1927 (envoy)
1950 (ambassador)
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Dublin
Embassy of the United States, Dublin

The chief of mission for the United States in Ireland held the title of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary from 1927 through 1950, and six people served in the role.[1] Since 1950, the title has been ambassador, and 23 people have served in the role.[1] Only the first envoy, Frederick A. Sterling, was a career Foreign Service Officer – other envoys, and all ambassadors to date, have been non-career appointees.[1] The first four envoys were commissioned to the Irish Free State,[1] prior to the formation of the State.

The ambassador and embassy staff at large work at the Ballsbridge Chancery of the Embassy of the United States, Dublin.[2] Deerfield Residence is the official residence of the ambassador, located in the Phoenix Park, Dublin.[3]

Incumbent

The position was vacant from January 2017 through the end of June 2019, with Reece Smyth serving as the chargé d'affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Ireland.[4] The prior ambassador, Kevin O'Malley, was nominated by President Barack Obama and served from October 2014 until the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump. In December 2016, it was reported that then president-elect Trump intended to name Brian P. Burns as the next ambassador to Ireland.[5] However, in June 2017, Burns withdrew his name from consideration, due to ill health.[6]

Edward F. Crawford, a businessman and entrepreneur from Ohio whose parents were from Cork, was approved to be the next ambassador by the Senate's foreign relations committee in May 2019,[7] confirmed by a vote of the United States Senate on June 13, 2019,[8] and sworn into office on June 26, 2019.[9] He officially began his term as ambassador upon presentation of his credentials to President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins on July 1, 2019.[10][11]

Chiefs of Mission

Envoys

Until 1950, the official title was Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.[1]

No. Name Appointed Presentation
of Credentials		 Termination
of Mission		 Days in
Office		 Notes
1Frederick A. SterlingFebruary 19, 1927July 27, 1927March 7, 19342415E1
2W. W. McDowellJanuary 15, 1934March 27, 1934April 9, 193413E1 E2
3Alvin Mansfield OwsleyMay 15, 1935June 27, 1935July 7, 1937741E1
4John CudahyMay 28, 1937August 23, 1937January 15, 1940875E1
5David GrayFebruary 16, 1940April 15, 1940June 28, 19472630
6George A. GarrettApril 10, 1947July 28, 1947April 18, 1950995E3
^E1 Commissioned to the Irish Free State
^E2 Died in office (while in Ireland)
^E3 Promoted to Ambassador

Ambassadors

Since 1950, the official title has been Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.[1]

No. Name Appointed Presentation
of Credentials		 Termination
of Mission		 Days in
Office		 Notes
1George A. GarrettMarch 17, 1950April 18, 1950May 27, 1951404
2Francis P. MatthewsJuly 6, 1951October 22, 1951September 7, 1952321A1
3William Howard Taft IIIApril 2, 1953May 13, 1953June 25, 19571504
4R. W. Scott McLeodMay 9, 1957July 17, 1957March 15, 19611337
5Grant StockdaleMarch 29, 1961May 17, 1961July 7, 1962416
6Matthew McCloskeyJuly 12, 1962July 19, 1962June 7, 1964689
7Raymond R. GuestMarch 11, 1965April 28, 1965June 7, 19681136
8Leo J. SheridanSeptember 26, 1968November 1, 1968June 1, 1969212
9John D. J. MooreApril 19, 1969June 23, 1969June 30, 19752198A2
10Walter CurleyJuly 23, 1975September 18, 1975May 2, 1977592
11William V. ShannonJune 22, 1977July 20, 1977June 7, 19811418
12Peter H. DaileyMarch 15, 1982April 30, 1982January 15, 1984625
13Robert F. KaneFebruary 28, 1984March 6, 1984May 29, 1985449
14Margaret HecklerDecember 17, 1985January 30, 1986August 20, 19891298
15Richard A. MooreAugust 7, 1989September 19, 1989June 15, 19921000
16William H. G. FitzGeraldJune 15, 1992June 26, 1992June 5, 1993344
17Jean Kennedy SmithJune 17, 1993June 24, 1993September 17, 19981911
18Mike SullivanOctober 22, 1998January 21, 1999June 20, 2001881A3
19Richard EganAugust 29, 2001September 10, 2001January 31, 2003508
20James C. KennyOctober 6, 2003October 31, 2003August 13, 20061017A3
21Thomas C. FoleyAugust 28, 2006October 18, 2006January 22, 2009827A3
22Dan RooneyJuly 1, 2009July 3, 2009December 14, 20121260
23Kevin O'MalleySeptember 18, 2014October 8, 2014January 20, 2017835A3
24Edward F. CrawfordJune 13, 2019July 1, 2019January 19, 2021568A3
^A1 Died in office (while in the United States)
^A2 Interred in Ireland
^A3 Still living

Other nominees
Deerfield Residence, official residence of the Ambassador

Appointed or nominated, but did not serve.[1]

  • W. W. McDowell
Appointment: September 13, 1933. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; did not serve under this appointment. Reappointed in January 1934.
  • William E. McCann
Note: Not commissioned; nomination of March 17, 1981, not acted upon by the Senate.[12]

Chargé d’affaires

Interim chiefs of mission.[1]

  • Stuart A. Dwyer
September 2013 – October 2014
  • Reece Smyth
January 2017 – June 2019

See also

References
  1. "Chiefs of Mission for Ireland". history.state.gov. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  2. "Embassy History". U.S. Embassy in Ireland. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  3. "History of Ambassador's Residence". U.S. Embassy in Ireland. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  4. "Donald Trump is yet to select an Irish ambassador but a Texan is keeping the seat warm". TheJournal.ie. March 8, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  5. O'Dowd, Niall. "NYT reporter tweets Trump ready to name Brian Burns as US Ambassador". Irish Central. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  6. "Irish-American withdraws as Trump's nominee for US ambassador". RTÉ. June 13, 2017. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  7. Lynch, Suzanne (May 2, 2019). "US Senate committee approves next Irish ambassador". The Irish Times. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  8. O'Donovan, Brian (June 13, 2019). "US Senate confirms Edward Crawford as US Ambassador to Ireland". RTE. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  9. O'Donovan, Brian (2019-06-26). "New US Ambassador to Ireland sworn into office". RTE. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  10. @USEmbassyDublin (June 29, 2019). "Ambassador Designate Ed Crawford has arrived in Ireland!" (Tweet). Retrieved June 29, 2019 – via Twitter.
  11. "Billionaire Irish-American takes office as US ambassador to Ireland after Áras ceremony". TheJournal.ie. July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  12. "President Reagan dropping McCann nomination". The Marshfield News-Herald. Marshfield, Wisconsin. AP. August 8, 1981. p. 7. Retrieved March 20, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
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