Welcome Message
The Irish Embassy in India is our oldest in Asia; established in 1964. India was chosen because of our strong historic ties and the importance of India as an Asian and global power. Since then relations have developed, the embassy has increased in size, a Consulate General has been established in Mumbai and our network of Honorary Consuls has been built up around India.
For Indians as well as Irish, education has always been highly valued. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries many Irish educators were instrumental in establishing schools in India and neighbouring countries. Today increasing numbers of Indian students are pursuing higher education in Ireland and in many cases working for a time in Ireland after graduation. Their presence enriches the life of our universities and enhances mutual understanding. Cooperation between universities is also growing in science, healthcare and the humanities.
Trade and investment also create links between our countries. The presence of specialists from Enterprise Ireland and IDA at Ireland House in Mumbai offers a focal point for building and developing relationships. For Indian companies seeking a presence in the European Union, Ireland is a natural location with a common language and legal system. Irish companies investing in Asia also find these advantages in India. With two way trade now exceeding €4 billion per annum our countries are serious partners.
The Indian community in Ireland is growing rapidly and currently stands at almost forty thousand. They work in fields such as ICT, Pharma, Finance, Health Care, Education and services. Their presence means that Indian traditions and festivals are now also becoming part of Irish life. Tourism from India is also growing rapidly, apart from family visits many Indians are learning to enjoy typical Irish activities such as fishing, riding, golf, shooting, hiking and water sports as well as visiting our ancient castles and archeological sites. For Irish tourists India remains an exotic and exciting destination. Numbers of visitors are growing every year.
A guide to the services we offer and other useful links are found on our website.
Brendan Ward
Ambassador
Biography
Educated : BA (Mod) - Trinity College Dublin 1982
Entered the Department of Foreign Affairs as a Third Secretary on 13 May 1985
May 1985: Third Secretary, Headquarters (Political Division).
July 1986: Third Secretary, Embassy of Ireland, Beijing.
January 1990: Third Secretary, Headquarters (Economic Division).
August 1991: Third Secretary, Embassy of Ireland, Buenos Aires.
September 1995: First Secretary, EUMM, Zagreb.
July 1997: First Secretary, Embassy of Ireland, Cairo.
August 2001: First Secretary, Headquarters (Political Division).
August 2004: First Secretary, OSCE Vienna.
September 2008: First Secretary, Headquarters (EU Division).
September 2009: Counsellor, Headquarters (Strategy & Performance Unit).
August 2011: Counsellor, OSCE Vienna.
January 2013: Counsellor, Headquarters (Development Cooperation Directorate).
September 2013: Counsellor, Headquarters (Political Division).
February 2015: Ambassador, Embassy of Ireland, Ankara.
August 2019: Ambassador, Embassy of Ireland, India (and concurrently Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh).
Related Links
Contact the other members of Team Ireland
Irish Honorary Consulates in India
Irish Honorary Consulate in Nepal