Support for Big Apple Irish

One is the most powerful woman in New York and whose name is being spoken about in terms of the presidency in the future.

The other is one of the most powerful men in Ireland whose name is also being spoken about in terms of another big job in the future.

And yesterday, the two met up in Dublin when Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin welcomed the Speaker of New York Christine Quinn to Leinster House.

Her visit to Leinster House was to talk with Minister Martin about supporting the Irish community in New York.

Quinn is listed as one of the five most powerful women in the States and is regarded as a key ally for the Irish community in the Big Apple.

Quinn and Minister Martin jointly launched a new helpline to support older members of the community last year to combat loneliness and isolation.

She was also named as Irish-American of the year in 2008.

Yesterday they discussed how the city of New York and the Government here can co-operate in a wide range of areas such as helping those who have fallen on hard times, supporting Irish cultural events and promoting the GAA.

Micheal Martin also used the opportunity to brief the Speaker on current developments in Northern Ireland.

Christine Quinn, whose name has been mentioned as a possible future candidate for the White House, spent the morning in Dublin before travelling to Belfast.