Irish President Begins Three-Day Visit to United Kingdom

Irish President Catherine Connolly began her first official visit to England on Monday. She spoke at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith about the contributions of Irish people to British society. The Galway-born politician, who took office in November, said the Irish contribution to British society is as diverse as can be imagined.

She listed sectors including the arts, healthcare, education, construction, infrastructure, and professional services. Ms Connolly added that hardly a sector of the economy or an area of life remained untouched by Irish influence in Britain. During her visit to the centre, she also met participants in an Irish language class.

This evening, Irish ambassador Martin Fraser and Deirdre Fraser will host a reception at the embassy in honour of Ms Connolly and her husband, Brian McEnery. The three-day trip includes a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show on Tuesday and the London Irish Centre in Camden.

An engagement with King Charles is also anticipated during the visit. Ms Connolly pledged during her inauguration to prioritise connections with the Irish diaspora. The visit concludes on Wednesday with engagements in Leeds. There she will tour Leeds University and the Leeds Irish Centre and receive a briefing on the Irish Health Centre's work.

This UK trip marks the president's third official overseas engagement since assuming office, following earlier visits to Northern Ireland and Spain.