British Ambassador to Ireland Kara Owen has chosen Galway for her first official visit outside Dublin since her appointment in October.
Ambassador Owen was previously British High Commissioner to Singapore. Her connections with the county are also personal, with her husband hailing from Ballinasloe.
Ambassador Owen was welcomed to Áras an Chontae in Prospect Hill by Cathaoirleach of Galway County Council Cllr David Collins, Mayor of Galway City Mike Cubbard, Galway County Council Chief Executive Liam Conneally and Galway City Council Chief Executive Leonard Cleary.
Cllr Collins said, “It was a real pleasure to welcome Ambassador Owen to Galway and to remind ourselves of the enduring spirit of collaboration that exists between Ireland and Britain. Such meetings help to maintain existing business relationships and build new commercial opportunities. Galway also shares incredibly strong cultural and ancestral ties with communities across Britain, and it is vital that we continue to celebrate and remember our shared heritage.”
Chief Executive Liam Conneally commented, “The visit represented an excellent opportunity to showcase what our region has to offer, cutting-edge companies like Dexcom and Boston Scientific to our world-renowned cultural and educational institutions. The UK remains one of our most important partners, with British visitors accounting for a sizeable proportion of our tourism economy and supporting thousands of jobs across the hospitality and related sectors. In the post-Brexit landscape, it is now more important than ever to foster these relationships face-to-face. Ambassador Owen’s visit enables us to explore new avenues of collaboration that will have long-term positive impacts for both regions well into the future.”
Following her engagements at Áras an Chontae, the Ambassador took a walk through the city and received a backstage tour at Druid Theatre, where she held discussions with its artistic leadership.
She continued to St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church to meet Rev Lynda Peilow and on to the PorterShed for meetings with Galway Chamber CEO Karen Ronan and PorterShed CEO Mary Rodgers and her team.
At the University of Galway, President David Burn hosted a reception and discussions on shared research, cultural collaboration, and international partnerships. Later, Ambassador Owen attended a symposium to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Druid Theatre before travelling to Platform94 for a roundtable with companies operating in the UK market.
