Minister Foley begins St. Patrick’s Day visit to Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester and London

Minister for Education Norma Foley is today (Tuesday) beginning a six-day visit to Scotland, Wales and England as part of the government’s series of St. Patrick’s Day visits.

Over the course of visits to Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester and London, Minister Foley will meet with education leaders including the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills of Scotland Jenny Gilruth and Welsh Minister for Education Jeremy Miles MS. She will also meet Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

The visit in the week leading up to St. Patrick’s Day will highlight and celebrate the many close bonds between the peoples of Ireland and Britain across education, culture, tourism, language, music, enterprise and more.

Minister Foley will make a visit to Blackhall Primary School in Edinburgh where she will meet with students during a gaelic football PE lesson, take a tour of the school with members of its Pupil Council and speak with students and teachers.

In Cardiff, Minister Foley will meet with community organisations who create opportunities for people to come together through the mediums of the Irish and Welsh languages.

While in the Manchester area, Minister Foley will join with Irish-born Mayor of Kirklees Cahal Burke at Huddersfield Town Hall for the raising of an Irish flag before later returning to the Irish World Heritage Centre in Manchester for a music performance for school children organised by OneEducation, the Irish Youth Foundation and the Manchester Irish Education Group.

The visit will also feature a number of meetings with representatives of business groups, including the Tourism Ireland Glasgow Office and Scottish tour operators in Edinburgh, and Enterprise Ireland roundtable meetings on technology enabling engagement and participation in schools.

Minister Foley will attend receptions hosted in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Manchester, ahead of a St. Patrick’s Day gathering in London on Saturday 16 March.

The visit will culminate the following day, with the Minister joining the exciting festivities along the St. Patrick’s Day Parade route and addressing the Irish Festival at Trafalgar Square, where there will be family concerts, performances by youth groups, community choirs, dance troupes and more.