Minister Patrick O’Donovan leads Creative Industry Trade Mission to Canada to bolster bilateral ties ahead of ‘Canada Ireland 180’ Programme
- Published on: 26 January 2026
- Last updated on: 26 January 2026
Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD – together with Screen Ireland and the Department of Foreign Affairs – will lead a trade mission to Canada, visiting Toronto and Ottawa to meet with cultural, sporting, education and political leaders.
The visit focuses on strengthening bilateral relations between Ireland and Canada in the lead up to Canada-Ireland 180 – the landmark cultural initiative planned for 2027 to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the great famine migration from 1847, when over 100,000 Irish refugees fled to Canada. Canada-Ireland 180 will celebrate shared heritage through events, art, screen, and cultural reflection, guided by themes of remembering, reflecting, and reimagining the future. Minister O’Donovan will launch Canada-Ireland 180 together with the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, Marc Miller MP, in Ottawa with cultural and diaspora leaders from across Canada.
During his visit, Minister O’Donovan will have bilateral meetings with his Canadian counterpart, Minister Marc Miller, and Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden. He will also meet James Maloney MP, Chair of Canada-Ireland Interparliamentary Group and will attend Question Period in the Canadian Parliament.
In Toronto, Minister O’Donovan will meet with the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming of Ontario, Stan Cho; the Vice President of Toronto International Film Festival; as well as Canadian GAA clubs and female creative leaders as part of the St Brigid’s Day celebrations. He will visit the University of Toronto, the Royal Conservatory of Music, and the Corleck Arts Centre – which is being part-funded by Culture Ireland.
In Ottawa, along with a delegation from Screen Producers Ireland, the Minister will visit the Canadian Media Producers Association Prime Time Canada’s pre-eminent media industry conference attracting global leaders in broadcasting, television and feature film where he will deliver a keynote address.
Speaking about the trade mission, Minister O’Donovan said:
“This Trade Mission is perfectly timed to copper fasten Irish Canadian relations and emphasise the values and heritage that we share. Canada has a large Irish diaspora as evidenced by the GAA clubs across Canada, Irish creatives and Irish names among the population. My visit will also promote Irish culture and creative storytelling on screen. I will continue to work to further strengthen the relationship between the Irish screen industry and the world’s studios, streaming platforms and production companies and reinforce the message of strong and ongoing Government support for the screen industry and Irish artists and promoting co-productions between Ireland and Canada.”