Text and photo: Juan David Latorre
On the occasion of the visit of the Irish Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne, T.D., the Embassy of Ireland held a reception commemorating the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Spain.
The Irish Ambassador, Brian Glynn, welcomed the attendees and gave the floor to Minister Thomas Byrne, T.D., who remarked, “We are here to celebrate the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Spain, and that is a great achievement, because, of course, the State of Ireland itself is no more than 90 years old. So it is a great pleasure for me to be with you today in Madrid to celebrate it. The strong historical ties between Spain and Ireland date back to prehistoric times, to the origins of the Celtic people who lived in Ireland.” Since then, “connections have grown extensively. Spain and Ireland in 1935 were two relatively poor countries, and both had a long road to peace and prosperity.”
“Our peoples were united by the goodness of history, culture, politics, business, education, and I would also say a feeling of friendship. We like each other, we visit each other, and the people of Ireland come here every year. We learn the Spanish language. Our modern relationship continues to grow,” the Irish minister stated.
“Our people were united by history, culture, politics, business, education, and I would also say a sense of friendship. We like each other, we visit each other, and people from Ireland come here every year. We learn the Spanish language. Our modern relationship continues to grow,” the Irish minister said. “We have very close and effective cooperation between our two governments on a bilateral basis between our two countries and at the European Union level. We share,” Minister Thomas Byrne noted, “the most fundamental values as supporters of democracy, human rights, and the international system, and as members of the European Union. It is more important than ever to defend these values in today’s volatile international environment. Ireland, as you know, will hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026, and Spain recently retained its seat on this Council. The Spanish presence was very important, and I hope we can learn from its example and from the states that have held the presidency since then. Ireland assumed the presidency at a time of change and challenges to the international system. Ireland and Spain offer strong support for the European Union extension of Ukraine and for all candidate countries to the European Union.”
“Ireland, as you know, will hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026, and Spain recently retained its seat on this Council. The Spanish presence was very important, and I hope we can learn from its example and from the states that have held the presidency since then. Ireland assumed the presidency at a time of change and challenges to the international system. Ireland and Spain offer strong support for the European Union extension of Ukraine and for all candidate countries to the European Union.” After expressing his and the European Union’s support for Ukraine, the minister emphasized that “Ireland and Spain have also demonstrated strong cooperation on many issues related to the Middle East. And Ireland welcomes the 20-point Phase One peace agreement to end the war in Gaza. That was a great success and an important first step. There are many steps to be taken, but that was an important first step on the road to peace. And Ireland is ready to play its part in working towards a sustainable peace between Israel and Palestine and the realization of the two-state solution.”
“We believe in the project of building a strong, peaceful, and democratic Europe. The strong partnership between Ireland and Spain is fundamental to the Union we aspire to. At its core, the affinity between Ireland and Spain stems from the personal relationships between Irish and Spanish people, whether through business, tourism, sport, music, education, art, or culture,” the minister concluded.
After welcoming the new Irish ambassador, the Secretary of State for the European Union, Fernando Sampedro, stated that “as always, our exchanges of priorities reflect a shared perspective and mutual understanding between Ireland and Spain to address some of the most important challenges facing the EU and the world. And let me say that Spain comes to Ireland not only as a member of the EU but as a partner, as a true friend.”
After highlighting some historical milestones between Ireland and Spain, Fernando Sampedro emphasized the shared identity of the two countries: their defense of “the common values of humanity and the freedom that still binds us. In recent times, both nations have had frequent high-level exchanges to demonstrate our commitment to international law. As we discussed earlier, this was very clear in our approach to international law, no matter where we are—in Ireland, but also in the Middle East and the rest of the world. Our commitment to UN principles, international law, and human rights is to call things by their name, not to simply apply standards. This is what we are doing in the Middle East and what we are working on together to make possible the two-state solution that we have long advocated. Even so, the times that unite Spain and Ireland represent pure politics.”
The Secretary of State for the EU commented highlighted the increase in visits by Irish students to Spain, reaching 2.8 million, and noted that “around 400,000 Spanish citizens visit Ireland each year.”
Fernando Sampedro emphasized “the very deep understanding I always have with Minister Thomas Byrne regarding the recognition of Spanish languages in the EU, because Ireland understands very well what more than an official language should be recognized at the EU level. Together we promote competitiveness in Europe and work to forge an open strategic autonomy so that the voice of the EU is heard and the voice of everyone is heard.”