It could be a bowl of comfort in a sea of troubles. Then again....
With the Oval Office all of a sudden looking more like a ring, or an octagon, all eyes will be on Micheál Martin as he sits down with President Trump as part of the annual Saint Patrick's Day celebrations in Washington, D.C. next week.
At this stage it would appear that all the usual blather and ballyhoo surrounding the presentation of a bowl of shamrock will either be out the window, or will be a means for both leaders to avoid tricky subjects - of which there is now a bowl full.
After the, well, unfriendly reception for Volodymyr Zelensky last week, Martin will be grasping at any straw, or shamrock stem, in order to keep President Trump's mind on any and all things positive between the U.S. and Ireland.
Perhaps the two can talk about golf.
Martin, at any rate, will be under no illusions. This could well be the trickiest encounter of his long career, and one demanding all those political skills learned down the years coming up in the ranks of Fianna Fáil.
Martin, honed as he is, was nonetheless as gobsmacked as anybody else after Trump and Vice President JD Vance tag teamed poor old Volodymyr at last week's onslaught in the Oval.
Martin spoke of the Oval Office spat as being “quite extraordinary” and “very, very unsettling, I think, for a lot of people watching it."
Martin, speaking on RTÉ‘s The Late Late Show, expressed his “utmost admiration” for the Ukrainian president who “stood his ground” following Russia’s invasion.
And who also stayed in his seat until being told to leave.
The taoiseach said the collapse of talks between Presidents Zelensky and Trump in the White House would not be the end of engagement with the United States on Ukrainian or European security.
Indeed not, because Martin's meeting with President Trump will be more than just an Ireland/U.S. gathering. The taoiseach will be effectively representing Europe too.
It all might go just right, or other matters could well intrude.
Regardless, the bowl of shamrock will be feeling a little heavier than usual this year and it remains to be seen if it's the spirit of Saint Patrick in the room - or the glowering essence of Vladimir Putin.
