The Ambassador of Ireland to Great Britain is Ireland's foremost diplomatic representative in the United Kingdom and is in charge of Ireland's diplomatic mission in the UK.

History

The High Commission of the Irish Free State was established shortly after Irish secession from the United Kingdom.Documents on Irish Foreign Policy: 1939–1941, Department of Foreign Affairs, Royal Irish Academy, 2008, page xix The first High Commissioner of the Irish Free State to the United Kingdom was James McNeill, who later became the second Governor-General of the state in 1928.The Embassy’s History, Embassy of Ireland, Great Britain, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade From 1936, the Irish government regarded the state as being no longer a member of the British Commonwealth, but rather a state associated with it.The captive dominion: imperial realities behind Irish diplomacy, 1922—49, Donal Lowry, Irish Historical Studies, Vol. 36, No. 142, Ireland and the British Empire-Commonwealth (November 2008), pp. 202-226 Nonetheless, the office holder retained his title. In 1937, the Irish Free State was succeeded by Ireland so the High Commissioner’s title was changed to High Commissioner of Ireland to the United Kingdom. Ireland’s last links with the Commonwealth were terminated in 1949. In 1950 Ireland appointed its first Ambassador of Ireland to the United Kingdom, Frederick Boland, though his letter of credence issued by the Irish government described the country as “Great Britain”.The Irish Free State/Éire/Republic of Ireland/Ireland: “A Country by Any Other Name”? by Prof. Mary E. Daly; Journal of British Studies, Volume 46, Issue 1, January 2007, pp. 72 - 90 The Irish Foreign Ministry continue to name their Embassy in London as the “Embassy to Great Britain”.Embassy of Ireland, Great Britain, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Heads of mission

High Commissioners

James McNeill 1923–1928 Prof. T. A. Smiddy 1929–1930 John Whelan Dulanty 1930–1950No letter of credence appointing Dulanty was ever issued by the Irish authorities or accepted by the British authorities. See: The Irish Free State/Éire/Republic of Ireland/Ireland: “A Country by Any Other Name”? by Prof. Mary E. Daly; Journal of British Studies, Volume 46, Issue 1, January 2007, pp. 72 - 90

Ambassadors Frederick Boland 1950–1956 Con Cremin 1956–1958 Hugh McCann 1958–1963 Con Cremin 1963–1964 ... Donal O'Sullivan 1970–1977 Paul Keating 1977–1978 Eamonn Kennedy 1978–1983 Noel Dorr 1983–1987 Andrew O'Rourke 1987–1991 Joseph Small 1991–1995 Edward J. Barrington 1995–2001 Dáithí O'Ceallaigh 2001–2007 David J. Cooney 2007–2009 Bobby McDonagh 2009–2013 Daniel Mulhall 2013–2017 Adrian O'Neill 2017–2022 Martin Fraser 2022–present

See also List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Ireland

Notes

External links Embassy of Ireland to Great Britain: The Embassy’s History