Press release
Minister O’Donovan travels to USA for Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Arts, Media, Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, will travel to Seattle and San Francisco to promote Irish industry, culture and sport, as well as showcase Ireland as a major international hub for both inward investment and tourism, this week.
The visit – a key part of the government’s Saint Patrick’s Day programme – aims to solidify Ireland’s position as a key international location for film and television productions and as a major international game development hub. It will also showcase Irish sport and culture on the global scale.
Minister O’Donovan will meet with major game development and software companies, leading film studios and Irish cultural practitioners on the west coast of the USA during the week-long visit. The Minister will also visit San Francisco GAA, preside over a citizenship ceremony and attend a number of Saint Patrick’s Day events in Seattle and San Francisco.
Speaking ahead of the mission, Minister O’Donovan said:
“This Saint Patrick’s Day programme is a tremendous opportunity for the Irish Government to showcase the close links, both cultural and industrial, between our nation, our diaspora and our valued partners across the world. This is not only important for Irish companies selling into the US market, but also for Ireland, which is the USA’s sixth-largest investor and a significant trading partner. The Irish film and game development industries have seen remarkable success in recent years, and I look forward to meeting with key stakeholders in the USA to discuss future opportunities for closer collaboration.
“We are experiencing a global renaissance for Irish culture – our language, our film, our music, our art and our sport. This week I will be highlighting the role that Culture Ireland plays in promoting Irish culture abroad, and meeting with artists, musicians and sportspeople who carry the flame of Irish culture across the globe.”
St Patrick’s Day offers a unique opportunity to promote Ireland’s interests around the world and to promote Ireland as a place to invest, visit, work or study. This year, 38 representatives of the State will bring Ireland’s message to more than 90 cities in 40 countries.
The overall message of SPD 2025 will focus on the ambitions outlined in the Programme for Government, emphasising Ireland’s outlook and attractiveness as a small, open trading economy, with our economic success rooted in this openness and our willingness to build partnerships.
Ministers will promote Irish investment overseas, international research and education collaborations, mutually beneficial partnerships between Irish and overseas companies and the successes and growth of overseas companies that have chosen Ireland as their base in Europe.
The St Patrick’s Day programme offers an unparalleled opportunity to build relationships with key political and business leaders, decision makers, and cultural and academic partners; to communicate the consistent, principled and constructive approach that characterises our foreign policy; to celebrate Ireland’s contemporary and traditional arts, culture and heritage; and to highlight the achievements and impact of our Global Ireland strategy.