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There were audible gasps among journalists as Donald Trump told a press conference that he would ‘love’ to see a united Ireland.
The US president made the bombshell comment sitting alongside Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who appeared shocked by the announcement.
Asked about the prospect of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland becoming one nation during a two-day visit to the island, Mr Trump said: ‘Well, I don’t want to cause any problems, but I will tell you I’d love to see it unified.
‘I have friends on both sides, great people. They’re Irish people. How can they be bad, right?
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‘I’d love to see it unified. I think it would be a great feather in everybody’s cap if that happened. It’s going to happen eventually.
‘You know what? The way I look at it, it’s going to happen eventually. It may as well happen now.
‘We’re talking about it and you got the right man over here [referring to Mr Martin] to get it moving. But, yeah, I think it would be a fantastic thing.
‘Now the UK will have something to say about it, obviously. But I think it would be a great thing. I mean, how can it be bad?’
Issues surrounding Irish nationalists, who wanted independence from Britain, and unionists who want to remain in the UK, led to the Troubles and have been the source of decades of violence in the country.
Mr Trump arrived amid what has been described as one of the biggest security operations ever implemented by the Irish police service.
On Saturday morning, he met with Irish President Catherine Connolly and observed the national anthems of both their countries at Áras an Uachtaráin in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.
Earlier this year, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham sparked a political row on the island of Ireland when he said a unity referendum is ‘off the table’.
Under the terms of the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, the UK Secretary of State can decide to hold a border poll, and it also places a duty on the office holder to call one if it appears likely a majority would vote for Irish unification.
The people of the Republic of Ireland must also vote in favour to effect constitutional change.
Republican party Sinn Féin has boycotted the annual St Patrick’s day visit to Washington for the last two years over the current administration’s stance on the Middle East, but Northern Ireland’s leading unionist parties, the DUP and UUP, have continued to attend and engage with Mr Trump.
During the press conference with the Taoiseach, Mr Trump also said the relationship between Ireland and the US has ‘never been as good as it is right now’.
He added: ‘We have a big relationship with Ireland and that will continue stronger than ever.
‘We’re doing very well. The two countries do very well together.’
Mr Martin told the US president he was ‘very pleased to welcome you to Ireland’, adding that the US and Ireland have a ‘very strong, old relationship’.
He said: ‘You did say to me 12 months ago that you would do everything possible to get here when it was announced that Doonbeg would be the venue for the Irish Open.
‘I think it illustrates the very strong sporting relationship between our two countries.
‘The sporting connections between our two countries are huge and the people of Doonbeg are particularly appreciative of your investment and the investment of your family.’
A number of protests against Mr Trump’s visit have been planned.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said peaceful protest would be facilitated as much as possible, but there would be ‘no tolerance’ for public disorder or attempts to impact ‘critical movements’ of the US president.