2024 Summer Newsletter
Dear Irish community, friends of Ireland, A chairde,
Welcome to the summer edition of our Embassy newsletter. Some of you are already on a well-deserved summer break while others are looking forward to rest and relaxation over the coming period. Whatever your plans are, and wherever they bring you, allow me to wish you a wonderful summer.
The Embassy has been keeping busy over the past three months, pursuing our core mission of promoting the best of Ireland and working for you, our community. Highlights included our participation in Europe Day at Bratislava’s Old Market Hall on 9 May. This was an especially important Europe Day, coming as it did so just days after the 20th anniversary of Slovakia’s accession to the European Union. We are proud that Slovakia joined our Union during Ireland’s EU Presidency. To mark the occasion, Ireland commissioned a multilingual video, recalling the ‘Day of Welcomes’ for the 10 new Member States on 1 May 2004, accompanied by the words of the late, great Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney. You can view the video here.
Can you spot the scenes filmed in and around Bratislava?
On the cultural front, the Embassy took part once again in the annual ‘Night of Literature’ in May where we showcased the Slovak-language translation of Louise Nealon’s best-selling debut novel, Snowflake. The response from audiences in Bratislava and across Slovakia was overwhelmingly positive. In June, we marked ‘Bloomsday’ with a performance of immersive theatre in the Uisce Beatha pub, drawing on the Cyclops episode in Ulysses. Our congratulations to the talented group of volunteer actors who brought a key passage of Joyce’s masterpiece so vividly to life.
Promoting our values is also at the heart of what we do as an Embassy. The team turned out in force just last weekend at this year’s Bratislava Pride. Our Deputy Head of Mission, Paul Gibbons read out a joint statement on behalf of some 45 Embassies and other offices.
We hope you enjoy the pictures in the following pages. You will also find the regular update from our friends at the ‘Slovak Shamrocks’. Please do let us know if you wish to contribute an article or feature in an upcoming edition of our newsletter. We would be delighted to hear from you!
If you know of anyone who has recently arrived in Slovakia and who you think would be interested in being on our circulation list, please encourage them to contact us at bratislava@dfa.ie
For news and updates, the Embassy’s Twitter account @IrlEmbSlovakia remains your chief source of information together with our Facebook at this LINK.
As always, we warmly welcome your feedback and suggestions as we work to improve our service and outreach to you. Please send any comments or ideas to Bratislava@dfa.ie.
With best wishes, le gach dea-ghuí.
Dermot McGauran
Ambassador of Ireland
Europe Day
Night of Literature
Bloomsday
Rainbow Pride
Slovak Shamrocks Excel at Second Regional Championship in Rome
The Slovak Shamrocks showcased their talents once again, this time at the second regional championship round held in Rome. Our ladies' team partnered with the Zurich Inneoin, delivering an exceptional performance that culminated in winning the shield trophy—a testament to their skill and teamwork.
On the men's side, our team joined forces with the Rome Hibernians. Despite facing stiff competition, they secured a commendable 7th place finish. The highlight was a victory against our regional rivals, the Vienna Gaels, in the final game—a thrilling end to the tournament.
Off the field, our Chairperson, Petros Kolokotronis, who also leads the CEE Regional Committee, engaged in a meaningful conversation with former Irish President Mary McAleese. They discussed the pivotal role of the GAA in spreading Irish culture globally, highlighting the significant impact of our sports beyond just athletic competition.
In addition to our athletic endeavors, we've been active in our local community as well. We recently hosted a fundraiser pub quiz at Uisce Beatha pub, where owner Shane Crean continues to be a stalwart supporter of our club. Additionally, we organized a bike ride to the local lakes to welcome the summer and renew our commitment to sports, setting the stage for our activities resuming in September.