Christmas message from Ambassador Gormley
Announcement
23 December 2021
Dear Friends,
This year has been another tough one particularly for all those who have been directly impacted by the pandemic either through the loss of family or friends or through ill health. It has been a year of hope too however with wide access to vaccines and much more to be done around the world.
We have all adopted in different ways and online tools worked very well overall, within their limits, in connecting Ireland to Sweden. We had very large engagement worldwide for our St Patrick’s Day celebrations from Stockholm this year and also for the Bloomsday recording “out on the water” with Spuds and Sill, the James Joyce Society of Sweden and Quilty as well as a number of other cultural events throughout the year. Business connections were advanced online through seminars and trade events organised by the state agencies (Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia and Tourism Ireland) and by the Irish Chamber of Commerce in Sweden via virtual exchanges and of course the successful inaugural Gala Dinner at the start of this month. A highlight also was a visit to Luleå with Enterprise Ireland to see the great work that Irish companies are doing on major digital and renewable projects in the north and it was a pleasure to meet so many of our highly skilled and motivated countrymen and women working in sometimes challenging conditions.
The GAA continued to train throughout and hold championships and new teams in Gävle and Luleå have definitely made their presence felt! The Swedish Irish Society brought family and friends together in person where possible including for a Christmas dinner and the choir performed beautifully at the EU Christmas Concert at Adolf Fredrik Church on 14 December (see link here) – the society are already actively planning for St Patrick’s Day 2022. We were very happy to have Thomas Byrne, the Minister for European Affairs, in Stockholm earlier this month and to hold bilateral consultations at senior official level and look forward to more such visits in the year ahead, conditions allowing. The decision of the Swedish government to re-open its Embassy in Dublin next year was very welcome news and a tribute also to all of those who have done so much over the past decade to keep Ireland’s visibility in Sweden strong.
The Embassy staff (see photo above) have been busy as always providing updated travel advice, consular, visa and passport services and supporting the work across political, business, cultural and education areas. I would like with that to remind those of you travelling over the holiday period and beyond to consult the very latest update on travel to Ireland here and to also note the latest requirements from the Swedish authorities here.
Most importantly, I would like to take this opportunity to warmly thank all those who work in a voluntary and a professional capacity to promote Ireland’s links with Sweden. We have achieved a lot this year despite the challenging conditions and will go on I am sure to push out the connections and friendships further.
Wishing you and yours all a very Happy Christmas and New Year and stay safe!
Nollaig shona agus athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh go léir / God jul och nytt år till alla!
Austin Gormley