We are delighted to be back with our September edition of our newsletter after a short break in the summer. As we move into autumn, we hope you found some time to relax and enjoy the fine weather over the past few weeks. 

We’d like to welcome and thank all those who signed up to our newsletter over the past few weeks – we hope you will enjoy our monthly updates and we look forward to seeing you at some of our events over the coming months. 

The Consulate team has been out and about over the summer period and was delighted to have so many opportunities to meet with our friends and partners in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland.  A particular highlight this month was the organisation of the first ever Frankfurt Irish Festival on 4 September. It was wonderful to see so many come out for the day to share and celebrate Irish culture – we are already looking forward to next year’s Festival. 

Our travelling ‘International Joyce’ exhibition continued its journey throughout Hesse in September, making its way to Darmstadt library - those of you based in Darmstadt and the surrounding area should add this to your calendar of events for September before it departs for Worms on 23^rd September. 

Another first in September was the successful tour by Fishamble Theatre Company and Pat Kinevane of two of their productions, ‘Silent’ and ‘Forgotten’ at a number of venues in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. 

In the midst of all these events, the Consulate also moved office and is now based in the OpernTurm in Frankfurt. Our new address is: 

Consulate General of Ireland, Frankfurt
Signature OpernTurm
Bockenheimer Landstrasse 2 – 4
60306 Frankfurt am Main 

You can reach us at our new phone number +49 (0) 69 667 74 8041 or usual email frankfurt@dfa.ie. 

Follow us on social media 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 Irish Festival, 4 September 

On 4 September, the Consulate, in partnership with Frankfurt GAA Club, the Irish Business Network, German-Irish Lawyers and Business Association, Europa Union Frankfurt, German-Irish Society Friedberg, Stadt Frankfurt am Main, Welcome Centre Hessen, Keltenland Hessen and Vereinsring Hoechst successfully hosted the first ever Frankfurt Irish Festival at the Eintracht Rugby Grounds in Nied. 

The festival had a full programme of events including live Irish music throughout the day, set-dancing demonstrations, Irish dancing, pop-up Gaeltacht, arts & crafts, a Céilí, food, and Gaelic football and hurling games from Frankfurt and Basel GAA clubs. 

Consul General Anne-Marie Flynn officially opened the event and welcomed the 1,000 guests in attendance. The response from visitors to the festival on the day and in the weeks since has been overwhelmingly positive and excitement is already building for the next Frankfurt Irish Festival in 2023! 

The Consulate would like to thank our wonderful partners and dedicated volunteer team who made the day such a success. We would also like to sincerely thank Hessen State Secretary for Federal and European Affairs Mr. Uwe Becker and Stadträtin Ms. Eileen O'Sullivan, Dezernentin in the Frankfurt city government with responsibility for Digitalisation, Citizens’ Services, Participation and EU Affairs, for their support. 

Check out our Facebook page to see the photos and video of the event. 

Fishamble Productions "Silent" and "Forgotten" Tour, 1 - 10 September 

The Consulate, along with Culture Ireland, was delighted to support the tour of Irish Theatre company Fishamble to Germany with their productions of ‘Silent’ and ‘Forgotten’, both written and performed by actor and playwright Pat Kinevane. 

Fishamble kicked off their tour with a performance of ‘Forgotten’ in Mainz as part of the English Studies Conference before moving to the Stadthallen in Wetzlar for a performance, in front of a packed house, of the award winning ‘Silent’. The tour finished up at the English Theatre in Frankfurt, where Pat again performed ‘Silent’, receiving a standing ovation at its conclusion. 

Pat and Fishamble’s performance in the English Theatre marked the first time an Irish play has been performed at the English Theatre and it was great to see so many turn up for this special occasion. The novelty of this performance was reflected in the positive media attention it generated in the Frankfurter Neue Presse, Kulturfreak and HR2 Kultur. We hope this will be the first of many performances by Irish artists at the English Theatre. 

 Launch of "International Joyce" Exhibition in Darmstadt, 8 September 

Our ‘International Joyce’ exhibition, commemorating the 100^th anniversary of the publication of Ulysses, moved from Mainz to Darmstadt City Library in September. 

The Consulate team travelled to Darmstadt for a glimpse of the exhibition ahead of its opening to the public and had an opportunity to meet with library staff, including Director Simone Roth.

The exhibition will run from the 6 - 23 September before moving to Worms for the next leg of the tour. Keep an eye on our social media channels for further details of when the exhibition is coming to a city near you! 

St Mary's Brass and Reed Band at Bad Orb Music Festival, 9 September 

Consul General Anne-Marie Flynn met with St Mary's Brass and Reed Band from Maynooth, who made the trip to Germany to perform at the opening of the Bad Orb Music Festival!  The Festival welcomes brass bands from Germany and around the world every second year.

 St Mary's Brass and Reed Band from Maynooth participated for the first time in 2018 and were delighted to return in 2022 . The band performed a medley of songs, including a wonderful rendition of Galway Girl. We look forward to welcoming the band again in two years’ time. 

 Consulate General of Ireland to open in Munich 

Ireland’s diplomatic presence in Germany is to increase in the coming years with the opening of a new Consulate General in Munich by 2025. This follows a decision by the Irish Government on the 7^th September as part of the Global Ireland programme. Speaking about the decision to open a new Consulate in Munich, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, TD, stated that 

“The opening of a consulate general in Munich offers the opportunity to intensify and advance our interests in southern Germany. It will also send an important signal about Ireland’s commitment to deepening and widening our footprint in Germany.” 

The Global Ireland Programme aims to see Ireland’s global footprint and influence double in the period to 2025, including through an expanded and strengthened diplomatic presence. Along with Munich, the Government also announced the decision to open new Consulates in Islamabad and Milan. 

You can read the full press release here. 

 Upcoming Events

Newcomers Network Festival 2022, 17 September 

The Consulate is delighted to be taking part in the 22nd Newcomers Festival in Frankfurt, which will take place from 1pm - 5pm this Saturday, 17 September, in the Römer Frankfurt.

We will be at the Diplomats Corner, so please drop by to say hello and to find out more about what we do. 

If you would like to attend the event, check out the Eventbrite page for further information and tickets. Admission is free. 

Book Club, 4 October 

The Consulate General’s Book Club returns on 4 October, when we will read Louise Nealon’s “Snowflake”. 

Nealon’s debut novel explores the trauma of leaving the nest, as it follows a young woman’s transition from her upbringing on a Kildare dairy farm to the throngs of Trinity College. The Independent describes the books as “'Sharp, clever and affecting'.” The book received the “Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year” award at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2021.  

We will run the book club in a hybrid format, with attendance possible either in-person at the Consulate premises or online via Zoom. If you’re interested, you can sign up via Eventbrite. 

Pop-Up Gaeltacht, 16 October 

Tá an Pop Up Gaeltacht ar ais! 

The Pop-Up Gaeltacht returns to Frankfurt Art Bar in Sachsenhausen on 16 October from 5pm. This relaxed Irish language meetup provides a wonderful opportunity to speak, practice and learn Irish - all levels of Irish, including beginners, are welcome. 

If you don't speak Irish, but are interested in listening in or learning more about the Irish language, then please do pop along – it’s open to all. 

Emilie Pine to visit Frankfurt in October, 20 October 

The Consulate General of Ireland, Frankfurt, is delighted to announce that award winning author, Emilie Pine, will visit Frankfurt in October for a number of events organised by the Consulate. Pine is the author of the critically acclaimed Notes to Self (2018) and the recently published Ruth & Pen (2022). Notes to Self was the winner of numerous awards, including the Butler Literary Award and An Post Irish Book of the Year. 

While in Frankfurt, Pine will discuss her most recent book Ruth & Pen at the Goethe University in Frankfurt on 20^th October and will also be in attendance at the Frankfurter Buchmesse on 21^st October – further details to come in our next newsletter. 

If you would like to attend the launch of the ‘International Joyce’ exhibition, please register your attendance via Eventbrite. The exhibition is free and open to members of the public.