A delegation from Waterford spent March 11 to 16 in Boston on behalf of Waterford Council. The trip cost of €18,114.82 in total—including €14,792.96 for flights and accommodation.
In what may be an acknowledgment that spending for any such trip will be scrutinised, Waterford Council have issued a full report outlining the daily activities and costs of the Visit.
The report explains how the trip came to pass:
“At its monthly meeting held on 15 January 2026, Waterford City & County Council approved the Council’s attendance at the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Boston. The visit was from Wednesday 11 March to Monday 16 March 2026, and it was agreed that the delegation comprise the Mayor plus 2 elected members and 2 members of the executive.”
A council spokesperson following the St Patrick’s Day Visit explains the rationale for sending a delegation:
“A delegation from Waterford City and County Council visited Boston from March 11th to 16th 2026 to participate in the City’s Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations and to advance cultural and economic partnerships,” said the council spokesperson.
“Led by Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Seamus Ryan, and accompanied by Councillors and senior officials, the visit combined high-level civic engagements, business meetings and cultural events.
“Mayor Ryan noted that the visit reflected ‘a strong mutual understanding and shared commitment between Waterford and Boston to deepen cultural appreciation and expand economic opportunity’,” the spokesperson added.
Mayor Ryan said the programme of engagements during the visit “demonstrated a clear openness for continued collaboration and exchange”.
Controversy
This trip has been a point of contention in City Hall recently, as some Councillors have questioned if the Waterford Council should send a delegation to the US at all considering the role the US has played in international conflict in recent times.
Cllr John Hearne in particular questioned the trip, suggesting that maybe the Council should consider sending the Mayor to Canda instead, in light of Trump’s relationship with Israel and US military actions in Iran and Venezuela.
This prompted criticism from Finna Fáil Cllr. Jason Murphy, who criticised Sinn Féin for expressing interest in attending a trip that some in their party openly disagree with.
15 out of Waterford’s 32 Councillors put their names forward to attend Boston as part of the Council’s delegation.
Cllr Adam Wyse and Cllr Joe Kelly were selected following a draw. They accompanied Mayor Seamus Ryan, Council Chief Executive Seán McKeown, and Senior Executive Officer, Honor Dunphy.
The Report
A full break down of the delegation’s activities are as follows.
Thursday March 12 included visits to State Street and Boston College. State Street is a leading finance company operating in over 100 countries and with almost 53,000 employees. State Street was also attended by SETU students along with Professor Denis Harrington, and Dr Tom Egan, both of SETU.
On Friday March 13 the delegation met with the IDA in Boston, where Seán McKeown gave a presentation outlining Waterford’s pitch as a destination for inward investment—he highlighted the North Quays, developments of advanced office space such as Glassworks, and the progress on Waterford Airport.
March 13 also included a visit to the State House in Boston, where Cllr Frank Flynn presented Seamus Ryan with a citation from the State Senate in recognition of continued partnership, and a meeting with the Boston Irish Business Association. Friday ended with an Evacuation Banquet to mark the anniversary of the date the British evacuated Boston.
On Sunday March 15 the delegation met with the Irish American Community in Boston and walking in the Evacuation Day/St Patrick’s Day Parade. The visit culminated on Monday 16, with the delegation meeting with Shorla Oncology, a US-Ireland based pharmaceutical company founded by Sharon Cunningham from Waterford and Orlaith Ryan from Tipperary, and later the delegation met with CarGurus, which has offices in Detroit and Dublin and employs upwards of 1,1000 people. Sean McKeown gave a presentation to the CarGurus CEO and Chief Technical Officer explaining why Waterford should be their second location in Ireland.
The delegation provided gifts to their hosts. The gifts were Waterford products such as Waterford Crystal, Blackwater Gin, Lisa Keane Art, Ardmore Pottery, Gene O’Shea Jewellery, Cocoa by Judith and Waterford Whiskey.
The €18,114.82 spent for this visit went towards the following costs: Flights & Accommodation €14,792.96, Meals €1,107.31, Transport / Transfers €481.38 Gifts for Hosts €1,733.17.
AARON KENT
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
