Jerry O'Donovan
AS WE enter the Christmas and New Year period, we can reflect on a very active year in Irish-Scottish relations. Earlier in December, the Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin visited Edinburgh to attend the British-Irish Council Summit which was hosted by the Scottish Government. At the summit, they held meetings with the First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney (above) and the Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, and also held bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Starmer and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn. At the meeting, the Taoiseach and Tánaiste both discussed the First Minister’s visit to Dublin in January to mark Burns Night.
This summit was the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the British-Irish Council and it was fitting that Scotland played host to this engagement, which brought together the heads of administration of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. The summit’s focus was on financing a Just Transition and ministers and senior officials from across these islands came together to discuss how we can collectively address climate change, an important issue which affects us all equally, regardless of borders.
Community connections
Later in December, we were delighted to join the Emerald Lunch Club in St Columbkille’s Hall in Rutherglen. Organised by Conradh na Gaeilge and Comhaltas, with funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Emigrant Support Programme, the music and dancing which form part of the lunches also allow for maintaining links with Irish culture and are a great social mixer!
These engagements are an important opportunity for conversation and connection among older members of the Irish community and play a vital role for some of the most vulnerable and socially isolated parts of the Irish community in Scotland. We will continue to support and facilitate similar activities by Irish groups across Scotland who in addition to celebrating our culture, identity and sport also delivery very beneficial welfare programmes.
Scotland was visited recently by the head of the Irish Abroad Unit in Dublin, Karl Gardner, which oversees diaspora support policies around the globe. Karl noted the exceptional work being done by groups across Scotland and their feedback will be inputted into the new global diaspora strategy that his unit will be releasing in 2025.
Academic alliance
Early in the new year, we’ll be convening a meeting Irish academics and researchers based across Scotland. We will be supporting this group in the creation of a new network of academics who are either Irish or who a professional link to Ireland that will meet formally for the first time in 2025.
After a series of engagements across Scotland over the last year, we have identified huge enthusiasm for the creation of such a body and we see huge positive benefits that such a body would have in relation to networking of academics within Scotland. Moreover, such an organisation will also support the very important east/west academic links being supported by groups such as the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Royal Irish Academy and the Celtic Academies Alliance.
With the UK rejoining the Horizon Europe research scheme as an associate member, the period ahead will see deeper collaboration between UK and EU academics and this network will play an important role in facilitating research links between Irish and Scottish universities and colleges.
More specifically, the Irish Consulate will be supporting a number of specific academic engagements in 2025. We are working with the University of Strathclyde on a space event in collaboration with UCD which will take place in February and this will build upon a similar engagement held in Dublin last year.
Scotland and Ireland have much to learn from each other in terms of research and industry linked to space. Scotland has led European activities in this area, with two commercial rocket ports in the north of Scotland. Glasgow and the wider west of Scotland now produces more satellites each year than any other city or region in Europe and we are eager to support deeper links in this area. We will also be supporting a conference to be hosted by the University of Aberdeen in May which will bring together Irish and Scots Gaelic speaking communities to look at shared economic, cultural and social challenges and opportunities.
Enterprise and entertainment
In addition to a busy St Patrick’s Day programme, we will host a ministerial trade visit in early March to formally open the new Enterprise Ireland office in Glasgow. The opening of this office is an important signal of the growing trade links that exist between Ireland and Scotland and will be a vital platform to support Irish exporters in Scotland.
We look forward to partnering with ESB, the Irish semi state energy company, on our annual dinner held in the Scottish Parliament each year to celebrate Irish Scottish economic links with policy makers and economic contacts from across Scotland.
In this area, we are hugely lucky to be supported by bodies such as Causeway: the Ireland Scotland Business Exchange and the British Irish Chamber of Commerce who do so much good work in bringing Irish and Scottish businesses together.
On the cultural front, Culture Ireland and Showcase Scotland will be hosting a specific showcase event for Celtic Connections 2025 where Ireland will be the country of focus.
More than a half dozen of the best Irish musical acts will be supported by Culture Ireland to visit Glasgow and perform at the pre-eminent traditional musical festival in the world.
On January 26, we are very much looking forward to a special performance by St Roch’s Marching Band and the younger St Roch’s Big Band which comprises some of the most talented Irish trad musicians in Glasgow. The Marching band made history this year at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann as the first overseas band to win the Senior Miscellaneous title so this homecoming performance at such a prestigious festival will be particular fitting.
This will be an incredible celebration of both Irish culture in Scotland as well as the contribution that the Irish diaspora in Scotland have made to our shared cultural heritage.
St Brigid’s Day
In late January and early February, we are planning to celebrate St Brigid’s Day with events in both Glasgow and Edinburgh. The Consulate is in discussion with Glasgow City Council on a special event to celebrate the contribution that Irish women have made to Glasgow and to links between our two countries. Keep a close eye on our website and social media feeds regarding an update on how to attend this event which we are very excited about!
We are also supporting the University of Edinburgh, which will have Professor Ciara Breathnach, SALI Professor of Irish Women’s and Gender History at UCC, who has agreed to deliver the Justin Arbuthnott Lecture on Tuesday February 4. To mark St Brigid’s Day, the university will have the topic of this lecture focus on the history of Irish women and we are very much looking forward to these and other St Brigid’s Day engagements which are planned across Scotland.
Festival of fun
August will see the return of the Edinburgh Festivals, which is always a hectic period of activity for the Consulate with a huge variety of culture arriving on our doorstep. Irish acts feature prominently throughout the 2024 programmes, particularly in the Fringe programme and the Book Festival.
While there is no specific database for these events, the Consulate identified more than 80 Irish shows at the Fringe Festival, 20 Irish writers at the Book Festival, two commissioned Irish art presentations at the Arts Festival and three signature performance by Irish groups at the Edinburgh International Festival.
Much of the Irish presence at Edinburgh was supported by the funding of Culture Ireland and we are expecting a similar profile and number of Irish artists for the festivals next year.
August 2025 will also see three Oasis concerts being played in Murrayfield, so if any readers of The Irish Voice need accommodation in Edinburgh in August we would recommend you book now to avoid disappointment in what will be a spectacularly busy month in the city.
Whether it is collaboration on satellite production or helping to promote Irish and Scottish trad musicians, 2025 will be full of a huge array of activities which will deepen links between Ireland and Scotland. But before we reach the year’s end and we prepare to spend time with our nearest and dearest, the Consulate would like to wish the Irish community and friends of Ireland health, happiness and good fortune for 2025. Beir bua agus beannacht.
Jerry O’Donovan is the Consul General of Ireland to Scotland
Comments