St Patrick's Day: Why Ireland's politicians believe they can influence Washington

Politicians from the island of Ireland are visiting Washington DC this week - but it's not without controversy.

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For politicians from the island of Ireland, there's one other annual tradition - a visit to Washington DC.

Every March, dozens of people including politicians, businesspeople, and lobbyists from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland descend on the capital of the United States.

This year, a number of Northern Ireland politicians are refusing to make the trip over Donald Trump's policies.

But what is the point of the events in the week running up to St Patrick's Day? And if they didn't happen, would anyone back home notice any difference?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c17qnxrq1y7o

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