A Missouri lawyer has been nominated to be the next US ambassador to Ireland. The selection of Kevin O’Malley comes after an unusually long wait by the White House of some 18 months to make the call on the diplomatic post.

A prominent trial lawyer in St. Louis and a second-generation Irish American (his grandfather came to the US from Mayo), O’Malley has 35 years of experience in litigation, “specializing in medical negligence cases, federal white collar criminal defense and product liability defense,” noted the Irish Times.

A prominent community leader in St Louis, he is a former officer in the United States Army Reserve and served as a federal prosecutor for 10 years the US Department of Justice and as assistant US attorney in St Louis. He also teaches law at the Washington University School of Law. O’Malley studied for the priesthood for a time and is a prominent parishioner in the Catholic diocese in St Louis.

The appointment has to be confirmed by the Democrat-controlled US Senate.

The longest delay in the appointment of a US ambassador to Ireland previously was 13 months, recorded in the mid-1930s during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Senior figures in the Irish-American community had criticized the delay in appointing a new envoy, with Democratic congressman Joe Crowley of New York City being the most recent prominent individual to voice concern.

During the visit of Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams to Washington in May, Crowley called for the Obama administration to be more engaged in the Northern Irish peace process by appointing a US ambassador as soon as possible to have a presence in Dublin.
The Irish Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore, welcomed the announcement, according to the Times. “I am delighted that President Obama has announced his decision to nominate Mr O’Malley as the next US Ambassador to Ireland,” said Gilmore. “This reflects the commitment which he gave to the Taoiseach at their St. Patrick’s Day meeting in Washington DC.
“It is important that there be a resident US ambassador here, to reflect the extraordinary strength and depth of the relationship that exists between our two countries.”