Welcome

Welcome to the website of our Embassy which we hope you will find useful and informative.  In addition to providing information on the services provided by the Embassy, it is a source of information on Ireland and Spain alike and on the links between our two countries.  If you have comments about our website or require further information on Ireland, please contact the Embassy.   

Ian Gibson awarded the Fernando Lara Prize

Ambassador Harman has expressed his warm congratulations to Ian Gibson who has been awarded the prestigious Fernando Lara Prize for his novel on the assassination of General Prim in 1870.  This award confirms Ian Gibson’s place as Ireland’s foremost hispanist.  Ireland is proud of the extraordinary contribution which Ian Gibson continues to make to contemporary Spanish literature and literary biography.

Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad

Nominations from Spain, Tunisia and Andorra are hereby invited for the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad. The Award will provide recognition by the Irish State for persons living abroad, primarily Irish citizens, those entitled to Irish citizenship and those of Irish descent, who have made a sustained and distinguished service to Ireland and/or Irish communities abroad. For more information, please click here

Ambassador Harman's visit to Seville

In the course of a visit to Seville on 9 May, Ambassador Harman met with the Director General and senior figures of the Instituto International San Telmo which is planning the establishment of a project in Ireland later this year.  During the meeting, there was discussion both on the Institute’s proposals for an advance leadership programme project in Ireland together with a presentation on the food and agribusiness sector (San Telmo is a leading institution in research and executive education for the agribusiness and food sectors). 

During his visit, Ambassador Harman also met with Sr. D. Francisco Herrero León, the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Seville (which will shortly celebrate its 125^th anniversary).  There was discussion of the feasibility of organising an event focussed on Irish business and development of business opportunities with Seville, in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, later this year. 

 Real Madrid's latest big signing comes from...Mayo

The Irish Embassy were delighted to learn of the recent star signing of eight-year-old John Joe Patrick Finn who was snapped up by Real Madrid's youth academy. To read more, please click here

James Coleman exhibition at the Reina Sofia Museum

Photo above: Manuel Borja-Villel, Director of the Reina Sofia, toegther with Ambassador Justin Harman and artist James Coleman

Photo above: James Coleman explains some of his works to Ambassador Harman

Ambassador Harman visited the Reina Sofia museum for the press conference with Irish artist James Coleman. The exhibition is on from the 24 April-27 August 2012.

James Coleman and his son at the Reina Sofia Museum

For more information, please click here

To read an article about the artist in El Pais, 24 April, please click here

XVI Lectura Continuada del Quijote

Ambassador Justin Harman participated in the XVI continuous reading of Don Quijote at the Círculo de Bellas Artes on 24 April 2012

Interview with Ambassador Harman on the Irish economy on COPE radio, 20 April 2012

XII Málaga Valley Meeting, 18 April

Ambassador Justin Harman attended a meeting of the Málaga Valley initiative hosted by the Mayor of Málaga on 18 April which was dedicated to the issue of the interconnection between aviation and technology.  The meeting was attended by the Presidents of airlines (Iberia, Vueling), Amadeus and with a broad group of Spanish and other companies involved in providing high technological solution to the aviation industry.

Ambassador Justin Harman visits Salamanca

Following the Ambassador's meeting with the Mayor of Salamanca, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, the latter shows him the view of the Plaza Mayor from the Town Hall.

The Ambassador also visited the Irish College in Salamanca and delivered a talk on "Economic Policies to combat the financial crisis in Ireland" at the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences.

The Ambassador signs the visitor's book at Salamanca Town Hall. One of the subjects discussed was the possibility of developing links with a comparable city in Ireland.

The Ambassador and the Mayor congratulated Erasmus student Ben Finnegan who was instrumental in the greening of the Town Hall on the occasion of St. Patrick's Day. A letter from the Tánaiste thanking the Mayor for his cooperation was personally delivered by the Ambassador.

Earlier that day, the Ambassador met with the Rector of the University, Daniel Hernández Ruipérez, accompanied by Román Álvarez, Dean of the Faculty of Philology and a great friend of Ireland.

For local press coverage, please click here

Kermes 21st Aniversary Charity Bizaar

The Irish Embassy participated once again in this 21st Anniversary Bazaar in aid of charity, presided over by Her Majesty the Queen. It took place on Saturday 14 April in the Palacio Municipal de Congresos (Av. de la Capital de España Madrid, 7; Campo de las Naciones).

The Kermes Embassy Bazaar aims at promoting the culture, folklore and gastronomy of many countires throughout the world with a view to aiding and supporting various charities of an altruistic nature. Among other activities, there was a big raffle, a tombola and an auction.  This year, the Irish contribution consisted of prizes from Irish companies and organisations such as Primark, Aer Lingus, Tourism Ireland and the Irish Food Board. Entrance ticket €3.

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Como en otras ocasiones, la Embajada de Irlanda participó en la Kermés anual de las Embajadas, presidida por  Su Majestad la Reina Doña Sofía, que tuvo lugar el sábado 14 de Abril en el Palacio Municipal de Congresos (Av. de la Capital de España Madrid, 7; Campo de las Naciones). La Kermés cumple este año su vigésimo primer aniversario.

La organización de la Kermés de las Embajadas intenta mezclar la difusión de la cultura, el folclore y la gastronomía de muchos países del mundo con el objetivo de ayudar y dar apoyo a diversas instancias de acción social con una mirada totalmente altruista y social. En el marco de la Kermés que comenzó a las 12:30 de la mañana se organizó una Gran Rifa, Tómbola y Subasta. (La entrada tenia un costo de 3 euros). La contribución irlandesa este año contó con aportaciones de empresas y organizaciones irlandesas como Primark, Aer Lingus, Turismo de Irlanda y Alimentos de Irlanda.

St. Patrick's Day SIBN sell-out Charity Ball in Aid of Barretstown

Photo above: Emma Naismith (President SIBN) presenting Tim O'Dea from Barretstown with a cheque

The St. Patrick's Day SIBN Charity Ball in aid of Barretsown was a huge success, with approximately 320 people in attendance at the Circulo de Bellas Artes. €31,500 was raised for the charity which will help send Spanish children suffering from cancer to the centre.

Photo above: Ambassador Justin Harman and Spanish Minister for Agriculture Miguel Arias Cañete

Spanish Minister for Agriculture Sr. Arias Cañete was the guest of honour at the ball and accepted a bowl of shamrock from Ambassador Harman. The minister studied at Trinity College Dublin.

Delicious food was served for the cocktail and the dinner, accompanied by traditional Irish music and dancing, followed by a rock-n-roll band and a DJ until the early hours of the morning.

For a short video on the ball, please click here

Cibeles goes green for St. Patrick's Day...

And the Ayuntamiento in the Plaza Mayor of Salamanca...

Even the paella goes green in Las Palmas....

Photo above: Honorary Consul General of Ireland in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Sr. Victor Aúz, with a special green paella

St. Patrick's Day 2012 message from President Michael D. Higgins

For a copy in Irish, please click here

Ireland House Highlights 2011 

2011 was a very busy year for the promotional activities of the Embassy and our State Agency colleagues Enterprise Ireland, An Bord Bia and Tourism Ireland.

To see our photo gallery of Ireland House Highlights for 2011, including the official visit by the President in March and many other events around Spain, please click here

We in Ireland House look forward to continuing to work with you all in 2012

The Embassy of Ireland is now on Twitter! To follow us on Twitter, click on the icon above. To read our Twitter policy, please click here.

Certificate of Irish Heritage

The government has announced the introduction of a certificate of Irish Heritage for individuals born outside the island of Ireland and who are able to demonstrate a direct ancestral connection with the island of Ireland.

For more information, please see here

Highlights of the official visit of President Mary McAleese to Spain in March 2011

To view video clip, please click here