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List of ambassadors of Ireland to Spain

Coordinates: 40°26′03″N 3°41′16″W / 40.434218°N 3.687887°W / 40.434218; -3.687887
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Ambassador of Ireland to the Kingdom of Spain
Coat of Arms of Ireland
Incumbent
Síle Maguire
since September 2017
StyleHer Excellency
Inaugural holder
Formation
  • 1935 (Envoy)
  • 1949 (Ambassador)
WebsiteEmbassy of Ireland, Spain

The Ambassador of Ireland to Spain is the head of the Embassy of Ireland, Madrid, and the official representative of the Government of Ireland to the Government of Spain. The official title is Ambassador of Ireland to the Kingdom of Spain.

The incumbent Ambassador is Frank Smyth, who was appointed in 2021.

History

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Leopold H. Kerney was the first Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary and was appointed in September 1935. Kerney presented his credentials to the President of the Spanish Republic, Niceto Alcalá Zamora. The legation of the Irish Free State in Madrid was closed temporarily because of the Spanish Civil War. Kerney sought refuge in St Jean de Luz, on the French border with Spain.[1]

In October 1950, the first Ambassador of Ireland was appointed following Ireland's departure from the Commonwealth.

List of representatives

[edit]
The Irish Embassy in Madrid
Designated/Diplomatic accreditation Ambassador Observations Taoiseach List of prime ministers of Spain Term end
1935 Leopold H. Kerney Éamon de Valera Niceto Alcalá Zamora 1946
1946 John Aloysius Belton Éamon de Valera Francisco Franco 1949
1949 Leo McCauley John A. Costello Francisco Franco 1955
1955 Michael Andrew Lysaght Rynne (1899-1981) [2] John A. Costello Francisco Franco 1962
1962 Timothy Joseph Horan Seán Lemass Francisco Franco 1967
1967 James Wilfrid Lennon Jack Lynch Francisco Franco 1970
1970 Brian Gallagher (Irish diplomat) Jack Lynch Francisco Franco 1974
1974 Charles Whelan (Irish diplomat) Liam Cosgrave Carlos Arias Navarro 1978
1978 Denis Holmes Jack Lynch Adolfo Suárez 1983
1983 Gearóid O Clérigh Charles Haughey Felipe González 1988
1988 Patrick Walshe (Irish diplomat) Charles Haughey Felipe González 1994
1994 Richard Ryan (diplomat) John Bruton Felipe González 1998
1998 Pádraig Murphy Bertie Ahern José María Aznar 2001
2001 Declan O'Donovan Bertie Ahern José María Aznar 2005
2005 Peter Gunning (Irish diplomat) Bertie Ahern José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero 2009
2009 Justin Harman Brian Cowen José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero 2014
2014 David J. Cooney Enda Kenny Mariano Rajoy 2017
2017 Síle Maguire Leo Varadkar Mariano Rajoy 2021
2021 Frank Smyth Micheál Martin Pedro Sánchez Incumbent

40°26′03″N 3°41′16″W / 40.434218°N 3.687887°W / 40.434218; -3.687887

[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The Embassy's History - Department of Foreign Affairs".
  2. ^ "Who's who in DIFP vol VII" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 4, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  3. ^ "The Embassy's History - Department of Foreign Affairs".