Obama, Biden to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Irish prime minister

Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Enda Kenny will join U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on Friday for St. Patrick's Day observances in Washington.

According to the White House, the Taoiseach will have a busy day of meals and meetings on Friday.

In the morning, the Taoiseach will breakfast with Biden at his home at the Naval Observatory and then meet with Obama in the Oval Office of the White House. The three will then attend the traditional St. Patrick's Day lunch at the U.S. Capitol.

In the evening, the Obamas will host a St. Patrick's Day reception at the White House that will feature an annual shamrock ceremony that President Harry S. Truman began.

The shamrock ceremony was started in 1952 when Irish Ambassador to the U.S. John Joseph Hearne stopped by the White House to wish President Truman a happy St. Patrick's Day. Because the president was out of town, Hearne left a box of Irish shamrock. Since then, the president is presented with shamrock each year.

Biden is also scheduled to meet with Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness on Friday at the White House.

[White House] [CNN]