Ambassador of Ireland to India
Kevin Kelly
Welcome message
It is my great honour to represent Ireland in Incredible India! Ireland has a proud and rich history of friendship with this great country stretching back to our shared struggle for independence and the creation of modern independent constitutional democracies at the start of the twentieth century.
The Irish Embassy in India is our oldest in Asia; established in 1964 and is therefore celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2024. India was chosen because of the strong political and cultural ties but also because of the economic importance of India as an Asian and global power. Since then, relations have gone from strength to strength, 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. Many of these educational institutions live on and continue to educate Indian boys and girls. Today increasing numbers of Indian third level students are pursuing higher education in Ireland and in many cases working for a time in Ireland after graduation. Their presence in Ireland enriches the life of our universities and enhances mutual understanding between both of our countries. When these graduates return home to India they become an important part of our so-called ‘affinity diaspora’. During my period in this great country I aim to develop this network in order to sustain the friendship these Indians feel for Ireland.
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 €9 billion per annum our countries are serious partners. The partnership is flourishing in many sectors with cooperation between universities also growing in science, healthcare and the humanities.
The Indian community in Ireland is growing rapidly and currently stands at almost seventy thousand. Working in fields such as ICT, Pharma, Finance, Healthcare, 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. Just as much as Irish visitors marvel at the wonders of Incredible India, so too are our Indian guests enjoying the beauty and excitement of Ireland.
A guide to the services we offer and other useful links are found on our website.
Kevin Kelly
Ambassador
Biography
Education: M.A. Governance, Queen’s University Belfast (2013),
M.A. Equality Studies University College Dubbin, (1993)
B.Ed. (Honours), St. Patrick’s College National University of Ireland (1989)
Before being appointed to his current role as Ambassador to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Kevin served as Head of Press and Communications for the Irish Department (Ministry) of Foreign Affairs, Dublin, Ireland. (2021-2023)
Immediately before that Kevin served as Ambassador of Ireland to the Netherlands and Special Envoy of the Government of Ireland to Africa for Ireland’s campaign for election to the UN Security Council. (2016 – 2021)
Before that ambassadorial appointment, Kevin served as Director for OSCE, Council of Europe, UN Coordination and Conflict Resolution in the Political Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin. (2014-2016)
Prior to that, Kevin was Director for Humanitarian Affairs in the Development Cooperation Division of the Department (2011-2014).
Between 2007 and 2011, Kevin served as Ambassador to Uganda and Rwanda based in Kampala. Before that he worked as Director for Africa in Political Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs, as Head of Development in the Embassy of Ireland in Ethiopia and as Senior Governance Adviser for the World Bank in Addis Ababa.
In 2019 Kevin was appointed Special Envoy of the Government of Ireland to Africa for Ireland’s Campaign for election to the UN Security Council 2020.
In 2021 Kevin was elected by the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims (representing the WEOG – Western Europe and Others UN constituency)
Kevin holds two Honours Masters Degrees, from the Queens University Belfast and University College Dublin and has experience of working with civil society organisations in Ireland, UK and Botswana. He has also been responsible for the planning and implementation of non-formal human rights and global education programmes with the National Youth Council of Ireland.
Kevin is married to Pamela Uwakwe and has two children, Maya and Noah.