Glucksman Ireland House NYU and NYU Pipes and Drums march in the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Saturday, March 16, 2019. (Kate Lord/New York University)
St Patrick’s Day is an opportunity for tens of millions of people with Irish heritage around the world — and many more friends of Ireland beyond that — to join in a celebration of Ireland and the literature, music, culture, history and outlook on life that have shaped our island. We are truly fortunate to have a national day that so many people enjoy, including in South Africa.
We know too that enjoyable days are not in abundance everywhere this March. Conflicts continue to devastate lives across the world, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan in Africa, fuelling hunger and displacement. The effects of climate change are being felt in more and varied ways.
All over the world, increases in the cost of living and anxiety about technological and societal change have undermined confidence in established ways of doing business.
We are not immune from these international winds of change in Ireland but we do try to limit their effects. And certainly, when it comes to investors in Ireland and visitors to our island, we try to provide a consistency of approach that stands the test of time.
A commitment to maintaining Ireland as a great place to do business and as a superb location to visit, study or work is shared by all major political parties in our parliament. This provides a predictability or stability in policy that might be not as exciting as some media commentators might wish. But, in a world as turbulent as today’s, we are convinced that this consistency is something to cherish.
We try to take a clear and consistent approach to our foreign policy too, in line with the principles of empathy and partnership that were at the heart of our most recent term on the UN Security Council.
Last month, we marked the third anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s illegal aggression must end. But how we make peace matters. Our message is clear — there can be no solution about Ukraine, without Ukraine. A bad deal for Ukraine is a bad deal for us all. That’s why we stand in solidarity with Ukraine, now and in the future.
We believe we have taken a principled position on the Middle East too. We firmly condemn the attack by Hamas on Israel on 7 October 2023. The taking of hostages is unconscionable. We call for the return of all hostages to their families. In Gaza, the scale of destruction, death and human suffering is truly shocking.
It is vital that we do not see a resumption of hostilities and that the massive scale-up of desperately needed humanitarian aid continues. Ireland, the EU and international partners have been clear that there can be no forced displacement of the civilian population in Gaza, nor occupation of the strip by Israel.
Ireland remains convinced that implementation of the two-state solution is the only way to establish lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.
As a small country, we are convinced that working together across borders, at the UN and in other international organisations, is the best way to tackle global crises and deliver on the sustainable development goals.
We see the protection and promotion of human rights as essential to securing and maintaining peace and stability globally. This is why Ireland is running for election to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2027 to 2029 term. We will make this case at the G20 too, where Ireland is proud to have been invited by South Africa to participate for the first time over the course of 2025 and where we will be active in making the case for harnessing innovation to deliver inclusive economic growth.
The invitation to Ireland reflects the strong relationship with South Africa in recent decades born of struggle, solidarity and a commitment to reconciliation within our respective societies. It is also a testament to Ireland’s activism internationally, including through the UN and its agencies in the promotion of peace and justice and in focusing on Africa’s development needs. This is, after all, an African, and not just a South African, G20 presidency, as President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised.
And all of this work continues while we intensify our planning for Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2026. Ireland is fortunate to be at the heart of the EU, an unprecedented peace project and a vibrant market of more than 450 million people. Our membership of the EU has had a transformative effect on our economy and society since we joined in 1973.
As the EU-South Africa relationship deepens so too will our bilateral trade and investment exchanges. At the EU-South Africa Summit, which took place last week, both sides agreed that international trade and rules-based order is an important engine for inclusive economic growth and to meet the sustainable development goals.
Ireland’s total trade with South Africa was at €5.8 billion last year and two-way investment flows are also growing. Irish companies employ about 12 500 people in this country and a growing number of South African financial services, creative industries and industrial companies see Ireland as an excellent platform from which to do business in the EU.
There are more than 35 000 Irish passport holders in South Africa and an estimated 15 000 South Africans in Ireland and our people-to-people and cultural connections are as vibrant as ever.
Internationally, there are deep and complex problems to navigate over the months and years ahead. But there are opportunities too if we approach these issues in a constructive and collaborative fashion and use our multilateral and international institutions to forge consensus and unleash potential.
There is a famous Irish saying that reads, “Ní neart go cur le chéile” — there is no strength without unity. This complements nicely the spirit of ubuntu. Just as we celebrate on St Patrick’s Day, so too should we raise a glass to Ireland and South Africa working together as closely as we can. Our people deserve nothing less.
HE Austin Gormley is ambassador of Ireland to South Africa
