The taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) has been invited to the White House by US President Donald Trump to celebrate St Patrick's Day next month.

The meeting is scheduled to take place on 12 March, five days before the Irish public holiday.

A spokesperson for the Taoiseach Micheál Martin told BBC News NI that he was "delighted to accept and looks forward to meeting the president".

"The embassy in Washington will continue to engage with the White House team on the details of our visit," she added.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that Martin received the invitation in a letter from the US president.

It said Trump's letter congratulated the taoiseach on his recent appointment and highlighted the special bond between the Irish and American people.

It is customary for Irish leaders to travel to the US every March for an audience with the president at the White House.

They present their host with a bowl of shamrock - a tradition that dates back to President Harry Truman in 1952.

Martin is serving his second term as taoiseach, having previously led his country from June 2020 to December 2022.

However, he was not able to visit the White House on St Patrick's Day in 2021 because of Covid travel restrictions.

He did make the trip to Washington DC in March 2022 but he could not visit the White House in person because he contracted Covid while in the US.

As a result, Martin's previous St Patrick's Day duties as taoiseach consisted of video calls with Trump's predecessor Joe Biden.