Micheál Martin and Joe Biden announce 'poetic partnership' between Ireland and the US

IRELAND and the United States have announced a new 'poetic partnership' to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

As such, Poetry Ireland and America's Poetry Foundation will be collaborating with each other for three years.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin revealed the union on Wednesday via his Twitter account following his virtual meeting with President Joe Biden.

He posted a beautiful video of three students reciting a poem picked out by Mr Biden himself - The Lake Isle of Innisfree by William Butler Yeats (W B Yeats).

"Today Joe Biden and I welcomed a new poetic partnership between our nations," Martin wrote.

Today @JoeBiden & I welcomed a new poetic partnership between our nations.

To mark the occasion, here is a special recitation of one of the President’s favorite poems by three gifted young Irish and American students: Brayden Harrington, Jessica Militante & Michael Tient. pic.twitter.com/SFVwz9atUy

— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) March 17, 2021

"To mark the occasion, here is a special recitation of one of the President’s favorite poems by three gifted young Irish and American students: Brayden Harrington, Jessica Militante & Michael Tient."

One of the students, Brayden, memorably performed a speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) back in August, overcoming a stutter that had plagued him for most of his life.

He explained how Mr Biden, who suffered from stuttering in his younger years, had helped him to overcome it.

"President Biden, you may remember the last time we were together in person... thank you again for all you have done for me and others who stutter," Brayden says before beginning the poem:

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,

And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;

Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,

And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,

Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;

There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,

And evening full of the linnet’s wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day

I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;

While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,

I hear it in the deep heart’s core.