Armenian-Irish Bilateral Relations
A Short Summary

Although there are several accounts of the existed links between Armenia and Ireland rooted in the ancient history, the bilateral relations on a state-to-state level were established following Armenia’s independence in 1991. 
Ireland has recognized Armenia’s independence in December 1991. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1996. The Irish Ambassador to Armenia, with residence in Moscow, Mr. David Donahue was appointed in December 1999. Until December 2007 Ireland's  Ambassador to Russia was also accredited to Armenia (with residence in Moscow). In December 2007, H.E. Mr. Geoffrey Keating the Ambassador of Ireland to Bulgaria has been accredited to Armenia (with residence in Sofia) in succession to H.E. Mr. Justin Harman.

In December 2005 the Republic of Armenia accredited the Ambassador in London to represent Armenia in Ireland.  H.E. Dr. Vahe Gabrielyan has become the first Armenian Ambassador to Ireland.
Since his accreditation, Ambassador Gabrielyan has visited Dublin on a number of occasions, where he held consultations with the Irish officials aiming at fostering the Armenian-Irish relations.

In February 2007, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia H.E. Mr. Vartan Oskanian paid a visit to Dublin where he held talks with Mr. Dermot Ahern, TD., the Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs and addressed the special session of  the Joint Committee on European Affairs of the Irish Parliament. In the course of his visit, Minister Oskanian made a speech on the Armenia’s foreign policy priorities at the Institute of European Affairs in Dublin.The Minister also visited the famous Chester Betty Library, which has one of the largest a collections of Armenian medieval manuscripts in Europe.
Minister Oskanian’s official visit was the highest bilateral visit by an Armenian official to Ireland since the Armenia’s independence.

Cultural Relations
From April 16-28, 2007 a photo exhibition entitled “Armenia: 15 years of Independence” was held at the Dublin Central Library. The exhibition consisted of more than 100 photographs by 15 photographers who have recorded various aspects of Armenia’s life  throughout the years of independence and the immediate preceding period. The photographs were provided by the Armenian Embassy, and Mr. Ohan Yergainharsian, an Irish entrepreneur of an Armenian origin contributed to organization the exhibition.   

In June 2007 a lyrical exhibition, entitled “The International Joyce” was held in Yerevan dedicated to the works James Joyce. The cultural event was jointly organized by the Embassy of Ireland in Armenia (with residence in Moscow), Armenian Foreign Ministry, Irish Cultural Centre of the St. Petersburg University and Yerevan National Museum- Institute of Architecture.

A book titled “The Armenians: Art, Culture and Religion” written by Michael and Nira Stones and commissioned by the Chester Beatty Library was published in Ireland in December 2007. The picturesque 90-page book is a short survey of the Armenian history and culture, written for a general reader, with a new assessment of the Armenian Collection of Chester Beatty Library.