Ambassador of Ireland to Egypt

Dear Friends,

Diplomatic relations between Ireland and the Arab Republic of Egypt were established in 1975. So I have the honour to take up duty as Ambassador during the 50th anniversary and just after the visit to Ireland by His Excellency the President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. My own journey to Egypt has been a long one involving postings along the River Nile and the Red Sea, the two great arteries that allow Egypt to thrive.

The diplomatic relationship might be relatively recent but there are many similarities between the countries, with numerous parallels in the early 20th century, for example, between the respective efforts of Ireland and Egypt to exercise their rights to self-determination and the prominent role played by women in our independence movements. Both countries are founder members of the ‘New Agenda Coalition’, which seeks to build an international consensus on nuclear disarmament.

As a member of the European Union, Ireland is a party to the EU-Egypt Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership, which “acknowledges … Egypt's unique and vital geo-strategic role as a pillar of security, moderation, and peace in the region of the Mediterranean, the Near East and Africa.”

The Embassy’s mission is a relatively simple one: to promote and protect the values, interests and economic wellbeing of Ireland and its people. Together with our Honorary Consuls, we provide consular assistance to Irish citizens in our jurisdiction in accordance with the Consular Assistance Charter of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. As Ambassador I hope to explore opportunities for Irish exporters and to build on the work of my predecessors in developing cultural links that bring our people closer together.

Nothing captures our connections, ancient and modern, better than the Grand Egyptian Museum. The GEM is the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilisation and was designed by the Dublin-based architects, Heneghan Peng, It stands at the edge of the first desert plateau between the pyramids and Cairo and stands out as a stunning example of Irish design excellence.

Ireland has had a very distinguished and unbroken record of peacekeeping service with the United Nations since 1958. I am accredited as non-resident Ambassador to the Republic of Lebanon, a beautiful country with a tragic history where many members of the Irish defence forces have given their lives while maintaining international peace and security.

This Embassy is also responsible for relations with the Arab Republic of Syria.

Please follow us on social media for news on our activities. The Embassy has Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts @IrlEmbCairo.