Welcome to the Consulate General’s February newsletter. 

In this issue, you can read about our events in January and February and learn more about our exciting upcoming plans.   

In January, we travelled to Gießen to mark the conclusion of our James Joyce #Ulysses100 touring exhibition. 

As part of the global events marking St Brigid’s Day 2023 the Consulate hosted an event focused on the topic of ‘Gender Equality in Europe: Are we there yet?’. On the same day, we were also delighted to welcome Minister Paschal Donohoe T.D. and Ambassador Dr. Nicholas O’Brien to Frankfurt ahead of the Minister’s meeting at the ECB. 

On 4 February, the Consulate welcomed members from the German-Irish Community organisations in our consular area for what was a very productive planning session for 2023. 

As part of its EU50 financial seminar series, the Consulate will partner with the House of Finance and Center for Financial Studies at the Goethe University Frankfurt for a lecture by Philip R. Lane, Member of the Executive Board at the European Central Bank, on ‘Macro-Financial Stability in the EU:  Some lessons on the occasion of 50 Years of Irish Membership of the EU’. 

Follow us on our social media channels to keep up with our latest travel advice, news and events. If you know anyone with an interest in Ireland, please encourage them to sign up for our monthly newsletter, by sending us an email here. 

Kind regards, 

Anne-Marie, Patrick, Martina and Rebecca
Consulate General of Ireland, Frankfurt

Frankfurt GAA Quiz, 17 January 

There was great excitement and fierce competition at the annual Eintracht Frankfurt GAA quiz held at the Irish Pub Bornheim. The quiz was organised to raise funds the GAA’s youth division. 

A wonderful evening was had by all and it was great to see such a fantastic turnout on the night.

We, in the Consulate, were very proud with our strong 4^th place finish - congratulations to the winners! 

If you would be interested in joining the Eintracht Frankfurt GAA team, you can find more information here. 

International James Joyce Ulysses100 Exhibition in Gießen, 18 January 

The Consulate travelled to Gießen for the final stop of the #Ulysses100 touring exhibition. 

We would like to sincerely thank Lord Mayor Frank-Tilo Becher who officially opened the exhibition and to everyone at the Gießen Town Hall and Cultural Office for hosting us. 

As we conclude the #Ulysses100 touring exhibition, we want to extend a huge thanks to everyone who supported and hosted the exhibition. If you’d like to have the exhibition in your area, please do contact us for further information. 

Global Ireland Presentation at University of Mainz, 30 January 

The Consulate was delighted to be back at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz to deliver a presentation on 'Global Ireland'. 

The presentation was part of Professor Dr. Rainer Emig’s seminar on ‘Global Britain’ in the Department of English and Linguistics. 

Following the presentation students took part in a Q&A session with Deputy Consul General, Patrick McDonagh. 

Visit of Minister Paschal Donohoe and Ambassador Dr Nicholas O’Brien to Frankfurt, 1 February 

The Ambassador Dr. O’Brien and Consul General Flynn were delighted to welcome Paschal Donohoe, T.D., Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to Frankfurt recently. 

Minister Donohoe was in Frankfurt in his capacity as President of the Eurogroup and took part in a European Central Bank Governing Council meeting. 

St. Brigid’s Day Event, Gender Equality in Europe: Are we there yet? 1 February 

As part of global events marking St. Brigid’s Day 2023, the Consulate was delighted to partner with the Irish Business Network Frankfurt and host a panel discussion with an esteemed panel of female leaders to discuss  the topic of ‘Gender Equality in Europe: Are we there yet?’. 

Consul General Anne-Marie Flynn was joined by Petra Hielkema (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority), Eileen O’Sullivan (City of Frankfurt), Mary Campbell (German-Irish Chamber of Commerce) and Fiona Van Echelpoel (European Central Bank) for a thought-provoking reflection on their career experiences. They also discussed the progress that has been made in the area of Gender Equality, while also emphasising the extent to which more work is required in this area.   

We would like to thank everyone who joined us for our first in-person St. Brigid’s Day event. 

Meeting with German-Irish Community Organisations, 4 February 

The Consulate was delighted to welcome members of the German-Irish Community organisations in our consular area to the Consulate on 4 February. 

The meeting was a great opportunity to bring everyone together to reflect on the year gone by, to look ahead to what is planned for 2023 and begin preparations for the 2^nd Frankfurt Irish Festival which will take place on Sunday, 10 September 2023. 

We look forward to another year of working with and supporting these wonderful organisations! 

Upcoming Events

Ireland EU50 Seminar Series: Lecture by Philip R. Lane, Member of the Executive Board, ECB, 27 February 

Ireland celebrated 50 years of EU membership on 1 January 2023. 

To mark this important milestone, Philip R. Lane, Member of the Executive Board at the European Central Bank will deliver a lecture on ‘Macro-Financial Stability in the EU:  Some lessons on the occasion of 50 Years of Irish Membership of the EU’. 

The lecture will be followed by Q&A and a networking reception. If you would like to attend, please register via Eventbrite. 

This event is hosted by the Consulate General of Ireland, as part of its EU50 financial seminar series, and by the House of Finance and Center for Financial Studies at the Goethe University. 

Social Workout Frankfurt am Main, 18 February 

"A Social Workout Frankfurt am Main" is a completely free group that was set up with one purpose; to bring people together and help them connect in a fun and easy-going environment. 

A lot of people find it difficult to meet new people and to make new friends, whether they are new in Germany or they've been here for years. The Social Workout consists of a monthly meetup (indoors in winter and outdoors in summer), where you will complete some fun fitness work led by Irish Personal Trainer Darren Siggins followed by some relaxing yoga from Brazilian Yoga Instructor David Duarte. 

For information on the next meeting, join the Facebook Community here. 

Seachtain na Gaeilge in Frankfurt, 1-17 March 

The international Irish language festival Seachtain na Gaeilge is coming to Frankfurt! 

There are a number of great events taking place on various dates in March, including  traditional Irish music sessions, a talk on Irish as a living Celtic language and a Pop-Up Gaeltacht in the Frankfurt Art Bar. An overview of the events taking place in Frankfurt and around the world is available here. 

If you would like to know more about the talk, please contact Stiofán Ó Foghlú at TSOF49@gmail.com. For further information on the Pop-Up Gaeltacht, please contact Danny Kelly at +49 1522 5855804. 

Irish Play at the Keller Theatre Giessen, 3-18 March 

The German premiere of Irish play “The Cloudspotter” by Michael Harnett will be performed in the Keller Theatre Gießen over various dates in March. 

This is the first production of this play outside of Ireland. 

If you would like to go along to one of the performances, check out the Keller Theatre’s website or Facebook page for more information and tickets. 

Consulate General of Ireland, Frankfurt
Signature OpernTurm

Bockenheimer Landstr. 2-4
60306 Frankfurt am Main