The position was vacant from January 2017 through the end of June 2019, with Reece Smyth serving as the ''
chargé d'affaires'' of the U.S. Embassy in Ireland. The prior ambassador,
Kevin O'Malley, was nominated by
President Barack Obama and served from October 2014 until the
presidential inauguration of
Donald Trump. In December 2016, it was reported that then president-elect Trump intended to name
Brian P. Burns as the next ambassador to Ireland. However, in June 2017, Burns withdrew his name from consideration, due to ill health.
Edward F. Crawford, a businessman and entrepreneur from
Ohio whose parents were from
Cork, was approved to be the next ambassador by the
Senate's
foreign relations committee in May 2019, confirmed by a vote of the
United States Senate on June 13, 2019, and sworn into office on June 26, 2019. He officially began his term as ambassador upon presentation of his credentials to
President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins on July 1, 2019. ==Chiefs of mission==