Mark Drakeford MS, First Minister of Wales, and Ireland’s Minister for Education Norma Foley TD were guests of honour at a reception to mark St Patrick’s Day. It was hosted by the Consulate General of Ireland, Cardiff at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay.
Minister Foley’s visit to Cardiff was part of a global programme of events to mark St Patrick’s Day. The Minister also visited Edinburgh, Manchester, and London in the week leading up to Ireland’s National Day.
All lit up green
The reception featured speeches by First Minister Drakeford, Minister Foley, and Consul General of Ireland Denise McQuade. Guests came from the worlds of politics, business, the arts, education, civil society, and the Irish community in Wales.
The Nils Kavanagh Trio – featuring rising Irish jazz star and student at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Nils Kavanagh – performed tunes from their forthcoming album. Guests were also greeted by traditional Irish tunes from Comhaltas Irish Session Club.
The iconic structure of the Wales Millennium Centre was illuminated in green, with the colours of the Irish flag also shining in the Cardiff Bay night.
A chance to meet
During her visit to Cardiff, Minister Foley met with Welsh Government Minister for Education and Welsh Language Jeremy Miles MS. They discussed shared challenges and opportunities in education, one of the six areas for cooperation in the 2021–25 Ireland-Wales Shared Statement signed by the Government of Ireland and Welsh Government. They also talked about the benefits of working together to maximise the educational gains of new technologies.
Minister Foley also met with the Welsh-language youth organisation Urdd Gobaith Cymru, and Ciorcal Comhrá Caerdydd – an Irish language conversation group set up by Irish people living in Cardiff.
Commenting on the event, Minister Foley said: “Ireland’s links to Wales date all the way back to St Patrick himself, and I was delighted to celebrate our national day with our friends in Cardiff. I was appreciative of the opportunity to speak with First Minister Mark Drakeford MS and to express our appreciation for his commitment to strengthening relations between Ireland and Wales.”
“I was also pleased to meet with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language Jeremy Miles MS to discuss how we can work more closely together for the benefit of our children and young people.”
Deep ties that bind
Consul General of Ireland Denise McQuade said: “Ireland and Wales share deep ties that bind us across the Irish Sea – connections of family, emigration, heritage, culture, education, and economic opportunity. These links between Ireland and Wales have shaped our past, present, and future.”
“In recent years, the Government of Ireland and Welsh Government have both shown strong political commitment to build on this foundation of friendship, through the opening of the Consulate General of Ireland, Cardiff, the annual Ireland-Wales Forum, and the Ireland-Wales Shared Statement and Joint Action Plan 2021–25 … [it] highlights education, language, culture, and the exchange of young people between Ireland-Wales as key elements of our relationship.”
“The visit by Minister for Education Norma Foley TD and the reception at the Wales Millennium Centre highlighted each of these themes. I wish a Happy St Patrick’s Day to everyone celebrating in Wales.”
