New US Ambassador to Ireland Edward F Crawford shakes hands with President Michael D Higgins during today's ceremony. Source: Maxwell Photography

EDWARD F CRAWFORD has formally taken up his role as US Ambassador to Ireland after the billionaire businessman presented his credentials to President Michael D Higgins during a ceremony today.

Eighty-year-old Crawford, who was confirmed by the US Senate earlier this month, fills a role that has been vacant for the entirety of Donald Trump’s presidency. The nomination of the billionaire businessman had been making its way through Congress and the Senate since the beginning of the year.

The accreditation ceremony took place at Áras an Uachtaráin today and marked the formal start of Crawford’s tenure as US ambassador to Ireland.

Crawford, whose parents emigrated from Ireland in the 1920s, said he was “honoured” to take up the role.

“When I was a young boy, my parents instilled in me a deep love and sense of connection to Ireland. As Ambassador, I plan to build on our important relationship and strengthen the bonds between our two countries,” he said.

Crawford is the president and director of Park-Ohio Holdings, a global manufacturing and supply-chain management company.

In his opening statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his appointment process, Crawford said:

My mother left Ireland in 1927 and my father in 1925. Both came through Ellis Island as immigrants, they would be very proud of what we have accomplished as a family and our need to serve America.

As part of the process, Crawford discussed the impact of Brexit on Ireland, saying that it had affected Ireland in “very strange ways”.

Both my parents left Ireland in their 20s in search of a better life. What a great story, their son arrives back in the land of their birth as U.S. Ambassador. I look forward to strengthening the bonds between our two great nations, so please join me along the way! pic.twitter.com/tcn5wWO0f2 — Ambassdor Edward F. Crawford (@USAmbIreland) July 1, 2019 Source: Ambassdor Edward F. Crawford /Twitter

“This is something that has to be settled by the two parties most concerned, and that is the EU and the UK,” he said.

During one exchange, he also noted that he’s “not a diplomat”.

As is typical of accreditation ceremonies, Crawford will depart from Áras an Uachtaráin with a military escort.