Consul General

I am delighted to welcome you to the website of the Consulate General of Ireland in Manchester, serving the North of England, which has proudly represented Ireland in the English regions of the North-West, North-East, and Yorkshire and the Humber since 2021.

The decision to open a Consulate General in the North of England was a concrete expression of the Irish Government’s enduring commitment to the British–Irish relationship, to the Irish community in Britain, and Irish businesses operating here. The ties between Ireland and the North of England are exceptionally deep – the North of England is also home to over 135,000 people who were born on the island of Ireland, and many thousands more who claim Irish descent – and I look forward to further contributing to the development these links in the years ahead.

We work closely with the Embassy of Ireland in London, where Ambassador Martin Fraser leads efforts to promote Ireland’s interests in Great Britain. As the Consulate gets established, consular services, such as passports, visas, and emergency assistance, will continue to be provided by the Embassy in London.

We also work closely with the State Agencies, including Enterprise Ireland, who are also based in Manchester, as part of Team Ireland’s collective work to advance Ireland’s commercial and promotional interests in the North of England.

Through the Emigrant Support Programme, the Irish Government already supports nearly 30 Irish community organisations across the region. We look forward to building on these existing relationships and engaging with the dozens of Irish heritage and culture bodies in the North of England, supporting community and cultural activities.

We hope the Consulate General will do much to enrich and strengthen the relationship between Ireland and the North of England in the years to come and we would encourage you to follow us on social media.

Le gach dea-ghuí / with best wishes,

Cillian O'Kelly, Consul General

Cillian O’Kelly is Ireland’s Consul General in Manchester, serving the North of England.

He previously served as Deputy Director of the Strategy, Governance and Change Unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin and fulfilled a number of different roles, across two assignments to Ireland’s Permanent Representation to the EU, including as Deputy Permanent Representative to the EU’s Political and Security Committee, lead officer on Middle East, North Africa & Gulf policy, and Human Rights attaché. Prior to this he worked on issues relating to the UN, OSCE and Council of Europe at Headquarters in Dublin.

Before joining the Department Cillian worked in the humanitarian and development sector.

Cillian holds a B.A. in Humanities (History and Philosophy) and an M.A in Philosophy from University College Galway as well as an M.A in International Relations from University College Cork.

He is married to Patricia Flynn, they have two children.