A black shamrock was floated down the river Liffey today by a number of currach boats from the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC). 

Campaigners lined the river from O'Connell Bridge to Ha'penny Bridge this afternoon as part of their “Shamrocks for Palestine” protest. 

They are protesting Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s visit to Washington for St Patrick’s Day, as well other Irish politicians visiting the US, Canada and the UK. 

The black shamrock lined with the colours of the Palestinian flag “stands for [IPSC’s] steadfast solidarity with the Palestinian people as they face Israeli perpetrated genocide, backed by the US and EU”, according to protestors. 

IPSC Chairperson Zoe Lawlor said the black shamrock is “is our symbol of resistance and declaration that 'Ireland Stands with Palestine', that we support the Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice and equality”. 

“We have been consistently demanding that no Irish politician should be meeting or sharing shamrocks with the Biden administration while the Palestinians in Gaza are being slaughtered with US weapons and funding,” she said. 

IPSC vice-Chairperson Fatin Al Tamini also said she does not accept “Varadkar or any of the Irish politicians going to the White House”. 

“The Biden administration and [Joe] Biden himself are enablers of this genocide on my people in Gaza,” she said. 

Protestors by the Liffey river with a black shamrock lined with the colours of the flags of Palestine, 16/03/2024. Image: Marése O'Sullivan

Other protestors along the river today said they did not want the tradition of Irish politicians travelling abroad for St Patrick’s Day to be carried out in their name. 

“I'm looking at the thousands of children being killed, and I’m appalled,” one protestor. 

Another protestor also criticised opposition politicians such as Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald for visiting the US. 

“They say they are representing the Irish people – they're not,” he said. “The Irish people don’t want to be complicit with genocide.” 

Mr Varakdar met with President Biden at the White House yesterday, where the Taoiseach said he was he was 'keen' to talk about the situation in Gaza. 

"You'll know my view that we need to have a ceasefire as soon as possible to get food and medicine in, to get the hostages out," he said. 

"We need to talk about how we can make that happen and move towards a two-state solution, which I think is the only way we'll have lasting peace and security". 

President Biden said he 'agrees' with the Taoiseach on these points.