Minister Deenihan visits Irish Community in Scotland

Minister for the Diaspora Jimmy Deenihan visited Glasgow and Edinburgh on 22 and 23 April  for a series of meetings with the Irish community, to highlight Ireland's new diaspora policy Global Irish and hear experiences and issues affecting the Irish in Scotland.

In Glasgow, Minister Deenihan met with representatives from Tourism Ireland, the Irish heritage Foundation, Conradh na Gaeilge, and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. The latter three organisations all receive funding from DFAT's Emigrant Support Programme. He attended an Emerald Lunch Club event, where elderly members of Glasgow's Irish community came together for lunch, traditional and folk music, and set dancing.

Minister Deenihan unveiled an Irish heritage stained glass window in Govanhall Library on the southside of Glasgow. The piece of art celebrates the history of Irish immigration to Scotland and was designed by local members of the Irish community.

At Clydebank Minister Deenihan met with Scotland GAA representatives to hear about their work and the activity of the GAA across Scotland. They also discussed the development of a multi-sports hub in the area. The Minister watched an underage Glasgow Gaels match, and passed on some words of wisdom to the players afterwards.

A small reception was held in Govanhill Neighbourhood Centre, where members of the Irish community had the opportunity to discuss their experiences and highlight their concerns to the Minister for the Diaspora.

In Edinburgh the Minister met with Irish professionals and businesspeople, where he heard their views on issues and opportunities for their community in Scotland, and spoke about the Irish Government's diaspora policy as it relates to Irish businesspeople abroad. He also paid a visit to Sister Aelred Timmins, an Irish nun at St Catherine's Convent of Mercy, to hear about her outreach programme in the local community.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe, and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop hosted Minister Deenihan at the Scottish Parliament, where he briefed Ms Hyslop on the Global Irish policy and they discussed a range of potential areas for future cooperation and exchange.

During a visit to the University of Edinburgh, the Minister had a comprehensive briefing on the work of the Scottish Centre for Diaspora Studies and heard about research being progressed by academic staff and students there, and it's relevance for present-day diaspora policy-making.

See more pictures from the Minister's visit.