President Michael D Higgins has spoken about the anger felt in Ireland at the betrayal of trust by individuals and institutions that characterised the Celtic Tiger economy.
President Higgins made the comments at a reception for Irish American groups at the Irish Consulate in New York.
The five-day visit to the United States is the President's first official overseas engagement since becoming head of State.
The trip will involve a PR offensive on the Irish-American community.
President Higgins told the gathering that Irish people had a righteous anger at individuals and institutions that betrayed the trust shown in them.
"But far from being defeated by circumstances, the Irish people are, for the most part, moving on and not allowing themselves to sink into any disabling cynicism or fatalism."
The President will speak to an Irish business gathering on Wall Street later today and will then visit the 11 September memorial before paying a courtesy call to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
