Press release
Government announces biggest ever St Patrick’s Day Programme
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
The government today announced the 2023 St Patrick's Day programme, which will see the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Government Ministers take part in an extensive international programme to promote Ireland and Irish interests around the world.
This year’s programme will see the widest yet engagement by Ireland with Ministers reaching out to partner governments and Irish communities on every continent. In all, 36 representatives of the State will bring Ireland’s message to 74 cities in 44 countries.
St Patrick’s Day offers an unmatched opportunity to promote Ireland abroad. It is an important part of the government’s ‘Global Ireland’ strategy which seeks to promote Ireland as an outstanding location to live, visit, work, invest in, trade with, and study.
This year, St Patrick’s Day will mark ‘100 Years of Ireland in the World’, a century of our country’s engagement as an active member of the international community in the promotion of democracy, peace and security. Ministers will acknowledge a number of important milestones which occur this year: The centenary of Ireland’s joining the League of Nations, the fiftieth anniversary of our accession to the then EEC, and the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
Ministers will emphasise Ireland’s commitment to the international rules-based multilateral system, our membership of the European Union and our commitment to protecting the Good Friday Agreement. The Ministerial programme will celebrate our heritage and renew our links with our global Diaspora and business leaders.
The objectives for the SPD 2023 programme are as follows:
The following visits will take place as part of the St. Patrick’s Day programme.
| Role | Name | Cities/countries |
| Taoiseach | Leo Varadkar | US - Washington |
| Tánaiste | Micheál Martin | US - New York and Boston |
| Minister | Eamon Ryan | Singapore and China - Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai |
| Minister | Michael McGrath | US - Chicago and Canada - Toronto |
| Minister | Paschal Donohoe | Germany - Frankfurt, Cologne and Berlin |
| Minister | Simon Coveney | Australia - Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth |
| Minister | Norma Foley | US - Philadelphia |
| Minister | Catherine Martin | US - Los Angeles and San Diego |
| Minister | Darragh O'Brien | US - Atlanta and Savannah |
| Minister | Heather Humphreys | UK - London and England |
| Minister | Charlie McConalogue | New Zealand - Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch |
| Minister | Roderic O'Gorman | India - Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangladesh - Dhaka |
| Minister | Stephen Donnelly | Canada |
| Minister | Simon Harris | US - San Francisco and Canada - Vancouver |
| Chief Whip and Minister of State | Hildegarde Naughton | US - Miami and Mexico |
| Minister of State | Peter Burke | Italy and Holy See |
| Minister of State | Sean Fleming | Brazil |
| Minister of State | Patrick O'Donovan | Thailand and Indonesia |
| Minister of State | Ossian Smyth | Belgium and Netherlands |
| Minister of State | Josepha Madigan | UAE and Qatar |
| Minister of State | Niall Collins | Malaysia and Philippines |
| Minister of State | Jack Chambers | Japan |
| Minister of State | Senator Pippa Hackett | Kenya and Tanzania |
| Minister of State | Martin Heydon | Korea |
| Minister of State | Anne Rabbitte | South Africa - Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town |
| Minister of State | Neale Richmond | Spain and Portugal |
| Minister of State | Joe O'Brien | Poland |
| Minister of State | Kieran O'Donnell | Croatia and Slovenia |
| Minister of State | Malcolm Noonan | Austria, Slovakia, Czechia and Romania |
| Minister of State | Dara Calleary | France - Paris, Strasbourg and Lyon |
| Minister of State | Thomas Byrne | US - Austin, Dallas and Texas |
| Minister of State | Jennifer Carroll MacNeill | UK - Edinburgh, Cardiff and Liverpool |
| Minister of State | James Browne | Cyprus and Jordan |
| Ceann Comhairle | Seán Ó Fearghaíl | Lebanon |
| Cathaoirleach | Jerry Buttimer | Sierra Leone and Liberia |
| Attorney General | Rossa Fanning SC | Argentina and Chile |