Government approves the nomination of Ambassadors
- Published on: 14 November 2023
- Last updated on: 12 April 2025
On the recommendation of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, the government today approved 15 Ambassador nominations. These appointments will take place during 2024, subject to agreement by the receiving States.
The government also took note of the appointment of six Consuls General.
Nomination are to positions across the world, with two Ambassadors nominated in Africa, two in the Americas, two in the Asia Pacific region, eight in Europe and one in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Commenting on the nominations, the Tánaiste said:
"I am delighted to welcome these Ambassadorial nominations.
"This year, for the first time, we exceeded our target of having over half of Ireland’s diplomatic missions led by women. Today’s announcement means that this positive situation continues and I am determined that we will make real progress on gender equality across all areas of our work and lives at home and abroad.
"I am also delighted at the strong progress that we have made in realising the government’s ambition under the Global Ireland programme to double Ireland’s impact and influence in the world. Since 2018, the government has announced 22 new diplomatic missions around the world and today’s nominations means that all of these Embassies and Consulates General will be operational over the course of the next year.
"I would like to express my appreciation to the women and men who represent Ireland at home and around the world as they work with great professionalism to support Irish citizens and to promote Ireland’s interests.”
Notes
All Ambassadorial level nominations are subject to the agreement of the receiving State and therefore in any reporting should be presented as nominations.
Once these appointments are in place, the percentage of female Heads of Mission will be 53%.
Under the government’s Global Ireland strategy, 19 diplomatic missions have opened since 2018, as follows: Embassies in Ukraine, Morocco, New Zealand, Colombia, Jordan, Liberia, Chile, Iran, the Philippines and Senegal; Consulates General in Vancouver, Mumbai, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Cardiff, Manchester, Lyon, Miami and Toronto.
The following three diplomatic missions are due to open in the coming year: an Embassy in Islamabad and Consulates General in Milan and Munich. Today’s announcement included nominees to head each of these diplomatic missions.
Further information is available in the Review of Global Ireland: Ireland’s Global Footprint to 2025.
The Ambassadorial nominations approved by the government are as follows.
Africa
Tanzania
Ms Nicola Brennan, currently Ambassador to Ethiopia, to be Ambassador to Tanzania (and Burundi, Comoros, Seychelles and the Democratic Republic of Congo).
Liberia
Mr Gerard Considine, currently Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy to Liberia, to be Ambassador to Liberia.
Americas
Canada
Mr John Concannon, currently Director General, Global Irish Division, to be Ambassador to Canada (and Antigua & Barbuda, Jamaica and The Bahamas).
Mexico
Mr Ruairí De Búrca, currently Director General, Ireland, UK and Americas Division, to be Ambassador to Mexico (and Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras).
Asia-Pacific
China
Mr Nicholas O’Brien, currently Ambassador to Germany, to be Ambassador to China (and Mongolia).
Pakistan
Ms Mary O’Neill, currently Ambassador to Tanzania, to be Ambassador to Pakistan.
Europe
Bulgaria
Ms Catherine Bannon, currently Director, Passport Reform, to be Ambassador to Bulgaria (and Armenia and Georgia).
Croatia
Ms Wendy Dorman-Smith, currently Consul General in Shanghai, to be Ambassador to Croatia.
Finland
Mr Paul Sherlock, currently Director, Ireland, UK and Americas Division, to be Ambassador to Finland.
Germany
Ms Maeve Collins, currently Director General, EU Division, to be Ambassador to Germany.
Greece
Ms Ciara O’Floinn, currently Director, Ireland, UK and Americas Division, to be Ambassador to Greece (and Albania and Serbia).
Russia
Mr Julian Clare, currently Director, Global Ireland, to be Ambassador to Russia (and Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan).
Ukraine
Mr Jonathan Conlon, currently Director, Finance Division, to be Ambassador to Ukraine.
Middle East/North Africa
Iran
Ms Laoise Moore, currently Joint Director International Fund for Ireland, to be Ambassador to Iran.
Multilateral
OECD Paris
Mr David Brück, currently Director, Political Division, to be Permanent Representative to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and UNESCO.
Consul General Appointments
Mr Frank Groome, currently Deputy Head of Mission in the Embassy to the Netherlands, to be Consul General in Atlanta.
Ms Nora Delaney, currently Deputy Director, Political Division, to be Consul General in Chicago.
Ms Maria Sheehy, currently Deputy Director, EU Division, to be Consul General in Milan.
Mr James C. O’Shea, currently Deputy Director, Development Cooperation and Africa Division, to be Consul General in Munich.
Mr Robert Jackson, currently Deputy Director, Ireland, UK and Americas Division, to be Consul General in Sao Paulo.
Mr David Murphy, currently Deputy Director, Development Cooperation and Africa Division, to be Consul General in Shanghai.