the-global-island-irelands-foreign-policy

22
OUR PEOPLE
Minister Deenihan with members of the Irish American Community at the Famine Memorial in Philadelphia © Tom Keenan
Connecting
with the Global
Irish Family
The global Irish family is a resource
of incomparable benefit. The Irish
abroad contribute to all aspects of Irish
life, from culture and society, to the
sports field and the board room. The
influence they provide in the countries
where they live extends Ireland’s reach,
adding a unique dimension to our
relations with those countries.
culturally and intellectually, as well as
economically. Looking out, it is about
mobilising the remarkable influence
of the Irish nation, which is a legacy of
more than 200 years of emigration.
The Global Irish Network, initiated
in 2009, has provided a forum for
discussion of imaginative and
influential new initiatives to deepen
links across the diaspora.
Engagement with the Irish abroad is
a two-way process that reflects the
diverse interests and needs of the
Irish overseas, opening up the lines
of communication and connectivity
for the mutual benefit of Ireland
and the Irish abroad. Looking in, it
is about enriching Ireland, socially,
Team Japan at the Asian Gaelic Games, Kuala Lumpur, 2014.