The Embassy’s History
Find out about the Embassy’s history, including our former Ambassadors and Chargés.
Ireland established formal diplomatic relations with Portugal in 1942, when it opened a Legation in Lisbon, headed by the first Charge d’Affaires, Colman O’Donovan.
The Legation was upgraded to the rank of Embassy in 1975, one year after Portugal’s Carnation Revolution on 25th of April 1974. Ireland’s first Ambassador to Portugal, following the democratic transition, was Kevin Rush who presented credentials to President Francisco Costa Gomes in 1975.
Back in 1942, the Legation of Ireland was located first in Rua de São Bernardo and later in Rua da Imprensa à Estrela, in the heart of historic Lisbon. Later, in 2010, the Embassy moved to the leafy environs of the Avenida da Liberdade, to a modern building occupied also by the Embassies of Australia, Canada and Slovakia and by the Lisbon stock exchange and economic and media enterprises. The Avenida, created in the 19th century from parklands and gardens in the style of the Champs Elysees, is today the centre of bustling commercial and banking activity.
Irish Charges d’Affaires at the Legation of Ireland in Portugal, 1942- 1975
Colman O'Donovan |
1942 |
May 1945 |
Cornelius Cremin Charge d'Affaires |
May 1945 |
July 1946 |
Gerald Edward O'Kelly de Gallagh et Tycooly |
1948 |
August 1955 |
Thomas Commins Charge d'Affaires |
September 1955 |
June 1959 |
Francis Coffey Charge d'Affaires |
November 1959 |
October 1960 |
Wilfred Lennon Charge d'Affaires |
January 1961 |
April 1962 |
Gerald Edward O'Kelly de Gallagh et Tycooly |
May 1962 |
March 1968 |
Denis O'Sullivan Charge d'Affaires |
April 1968 |
January 1975 |
Irish Ambassadors to the Republic of Portugal, 1975-Present
Kevin Rush |
January 1975 |
October 1979 |
Valentin Iremonger |
October 1979 |
July 1980 |
James Kirwan |
December 1980 |
July 1986 |
Bernard McHugh |
July 1986 |
November 1990 |
Michael Greene |
November 1990 |
April 1993 |
Eamonn Ryan |
September 1993 |
June 1997 |
John Campbell |
September 1998 |
September 2001 |
Patrick O'Connor |
September 2001 |
February 2006 |
James Brennan |
September 2006 |
August 2010 |
Declan O'Donovan |
August 2010 |
August 2013 |
Anne Webster |
September 2013 |
September 2015 |
Orla Tunney |
October 2015 |
August 2019 |
Ralph Victory |
August 2019 |
Present |
The History of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Learn more about the history of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our collaboration with the Royal Irish Academy's Documents on Irish Foreign Policy project.