Diplomacy is sometimes just a polite word for shaking hands with the devil. Its practitioners need strong stomachs and a poor sense of smell. Ireland, like every other democracy, maintains diplomatic relationships with repressive and even murderous regimes.

So when Donald Trump decided to recover at his Doonbeg pleasure dome from the strain of meeting “losers” such as Theresa May and the minor royals, the Irish Government had little choice but to play nice.