There is a certain irony that this time last year many in Government felt Enda Kenny's speech in the White House had not garnered the coverage it deserved back home.
Standing a few feet away from the US President Donald Trump, Mr Kenny said St Patrick is the patron of immigrants. This made international news and was viewed by tens of millions of people.
This year, I think the Government will be uneasy at how much attention Leo Varadkar’s off the cuff comments have received at home.
Yesterday while at a St Patrick's Day lunch on Capitol Hill, Mr Varadkar revealed he had contacted Clare County Council seeking information about planning for a wind farm, which was close to the then businessman Donald Trump's golf course at Doonbeg.
However today,Mr Varadkar said that he did not contact Clare County Council.
His comments are all the more surprising considering Mr Varadkar had warned the then Taoiseach that his trip had to be more than "smiles and shamrocks".
This evening, Mr Varadkar has now moved to diffuse the controversy - but it is politically and personally embarrassing for him.
I’m sure the Opposition will still want him to clarify his remarks when he returns.
It’s important to put some political perspective on this - next week the Dáil will resume debating the bill to hold a referendum on the Eighth Amendment.
The Government is hoping that bill will pass through all the stages of the Dáil next week.
Sinn Féin also has a private members motion to disband the Government’s strategic communications unit. So barring any new revelations, this story has a news cycle.
That’s not to say the Opposition won’t raise the matter in the Dáil when Mr Varadkar returns home.
The Taoiseach won’t be in the chamber on Tuesday as he is visiting Berlin to meet the German Chancellor Angela Merkel as part of his campaign to highlight Irish concerns over Brexit.
But I’m sure the Opposition won’t mind waiting a day.
