STATEMENT FROM THE NEWLY APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF DIPLOMAT IRELAND, AND TRADE AMBASSADOR OF THE GLOBAL DIPLOMATIC CENTRE, MICHAEL MULCAHY

STATEMENT FROM THE NEWLY APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF DIPLOMAT IRELAND, AND TRADE AMBASSADOR OF THE GLOBAL DIPLOMATIC CENTRE, MICHAEL MULCAHY

“I am honoured to be taking up a new appointment today as President of Diplomat Ireland, and Trade Ambassador of its new Global Diplomatic Trade Centre, for a five-year term. I have served as CEO of Diplomat Ireland since it was launched 16 years ago in 2009. My late colleague, John X Miller served as President until his death in 2023, and the stakeholders that include over 1,500 companies across the country asked me to take on this role after John’s passing, but because of some health issues that I experienced, I decided with the support of Jonathan Smith to wait until matters stabilised fully for me, as they have now. I am now ready, willing and committed to taking on this new role and delivering it to the best of my ability. Following on from the incredible work that John X Miller did in this role over 13 years, I look forward to continuing the great legacy that John has left in the diplomatic world.

In representing Diplomat Ireland as its President, I will be engaging with all 161 diplomatic missions accredited to Ireland. These consist of more than 90 Embassies and Consulates from 70 countries, with the majority of those located in Dublin. Additionally, there are up to 90 Ambassadors accredited to Ireland on a non residential basis, meaning that they represent their countries from outside of Ireland. I will seek to further the diplomatic, business and civic engagement in Ireland with these diplomatic missions. As Trade Ambassador of The Global Diplomatic Trade Centre, I will be engaging with businesses and the diplomatic community in Ireland, so as to progress the phenomenal opportunities that exist for all parties involved, as the global position on trade has changed significantly. Having served previously as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Ireland for seven years, I am deeply committed to connecting global nations and the business and civic communities of Ireland, so that more cooperation and opportunities can exist. I am passionate about giving back to Ireland, as an incredible, inclusive and multicultural country that I am immensely proud to be a citizen of, and that needs the support of all its citizens, with all of their talents, to progress and prosper in so many areas in the time ahead, and especially as the geopolitical landscape changes.

The motto that I have chosen for my term and seal of office is ‘Simul Unum Sumus – together we are one’.

Thanks to BMW Ireland and Kearys BMW for supplying the official car for the role, which is a BMW 5 Series M Sport Pro Plug-in-Hybrid. Thanks to Jordon Bracken and his team who will be the official drivers and close protection officers, as there are some security elements attached to the role that have to be complied with. Thanks to Lorraine Seward Cahalane who is taking up the role as Private Secretary, Emma de Roe who is taking up the role as Diplomatic Editor, Edyta Piorkowska who is taking up the role as Diplomatic Reservations Manager, and the other members of the Diplomat Ireland team who all do such amazing work behind the scenes.

Diplomat is the longest established and leading diplomatic news site in Ireland and is focused on Ireland and its Global Ireland mission. It supports the Irish Government, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, all other Government departments and State agencies. Diplomat Ireland also supports Ireland’s mission at furthering the global diplomatic footprint oversees, and promotes the Embassies, Ambassadors and their Teams that are currently based in Dublin, London and elsewhere as part of the more than 160 nations that enjoy diplomatic relations with Ireland. It also supports the more than 250 serving Honorary Consuls that represent global nations, and Honorary Consuls Emeritus that have represented global nations before retiring.

My first official engagement will be on Sunday, to celebrate Independence Day of Ukraine, when the Ambassador of Ukraine to Ireland, Her Excellency Larysa Gerasko will be in Cork for an event with the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Fergal Dennehy, the Ukrainian community living in Cork and friends of Ukraine from across Ireland, to celebrate the culture, resilience, and freedom of Ukraine as a Sovereign State. The programme will include musical performances, speeches, and an honour for those defending Ukraine.

Diplomat Ireland hosts its next annual event, The Diplomat Dinner 2025 & The Diplomat Awards 2025 on Friday, March 20th 2026 at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Cork, as a means of connecting the diplomatic community serving in Ireland with the corporate and civic community. Diplomat Ireland and Consular Ireland will host its next annual event, The Honorary Consuls Lunch 2025 on Friday, March 13th 2026 in the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Cork, as a means of recognising the serving Honorary Consuls and the retired Honorary Consuls Emeritus, from all parts of Ireland.

Diplomat Ireland manages The Global Diplomatic Trade Centre, as a bureau that seeks to further connections and collaborations between the diplomatic and corporate community in Ireland. Its key purpose is to work with businesses in every part of the country and to seek to open new trade opportunities through the diplomatic missions accredited to Ireland. The Global Diplomatic Trade Centre will act as a conduit between businesses and global nations, will seek to promote the exceptional products of Ireland internationally, will assist these businesses in opening new global markets for their products, and will work with all other stakeholders that are engaged in this area.

Diplomat Ireland also manages The Global Diplomatic Civic Centre, as a bureau that seeks to further connections, twinning, partnerships, collaborations and business links between the 31 local authorities in the Republic of Ireland, their 50,000 villages, towns and cities, and the 60,000 voluntary, social, civic, charitable and not for profit organisations around the country, with the countries and territories that Ireland has diplomatic relations with.

As with each role that I have been honoured to serve in, across the diplomatic and consular sector over the past 16 years, I pledge once again to serve as President of Diplomat Ireland, and as Trade Ambassador of The Global Diplomatic Trade Centre, with all the enthusiasm and passion that is expected of someone who wants to make a difference to their country, who wants to see nations collaborate, and who wants to see unity in political and civic life locally and globally.

I will be continuing with my existing work in No.1 Media Group and with Little Island Business Association.

Thank you to everyone for your good wishes, encouragement and support since my post last Friday. While this role may not be the role that some were expecting me to announce, I deeply appreciate the confidence and support from everyone that I’ve received so far, and look forward to working to support our great country, its people, businesses and organisations, in a way that I believe I can.”