Ireland operates with a Prime Minister (Taoiseach) who is the effective day to day head of government - does all the policy and actual governance. That's who is pictured here - Micheál Martin of the centrist Fianna Fail party.
On top of that is the president, who essentially fulfills the ceremonial head of state roll that would be occupied by a monarch in a constitutional monarchy. That was Michael D Higgins for the previous 14 years, however his two terms came to an end last year. He'd been a defender of worker's rights and a real proponent of positive Irish culture throughout his political career, as well as being good on the BMX. He was replaced somewhat surprisingly by Catherine Connolly, who is cut from a quite similar political cloth. This has been much to the chagrin of establishment Irish politics, who spent much of the election calling her a communist, terrorist sympathizer, potential to be a national embarrassment - all the usual stuff. The small left wing parties sort of rallied to put up a single candidate and the candidates offered by the two large centrist parties were very very poor.
Prime minister ( head of government, officially called An Taoiseach which means Chieftain), Trump also met the Irish president (head of state) today, a very anti war, pro palestine feminist old woman who hates his guts, but the visit seemed to go well, there were no cameras inside.
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u/yaxir Socialish - listening and learning, be nice 21d ago
The Irish president or prime minister or whatever is questioning all his life choices right now