List of ambassadors and high commissioners of Canada to Ireland

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Ambassador of Canada to Ireland
Incumbent
Nancy Smyth
since March 23, 2021
SeatEmbassy of Canada, Dublin
NominatorPrime Minister of Canada
AppointerGovernor General of Canada
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural holderJohn Hall Kelly
FormationDecember 28, 1939 as High Commissioner

The ambassador of Canada to Ireland is the official representative of the Canadian government to the government of Ireland. The official title for the ambassador is Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Ireland. The current ambassador of Canada to Ireland is Nancy Smyth who was appointed on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on March 23, 2021.[1]

From 1928 to 1949, Canada sent High Commissioners to the Irish Free State, which was a fellow member of the Commonwealth and a Dominion at the time. With the passage of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948, Ireland left the Commonwealth, and Canada and Ireland have exchanged ambassadors since.

The Embassy of Canada is located at 7-8 Wilton Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland. The ambassador lives at 22 Oakley Road, Ranelagh a rowhouse in The Triangle area.

From 1954 to 2008, the ambassador lived at Strathmore in Killiney.

History of diplomatic relations[edit]

Main article: Canada–Ireland relations
The Canadian Embassy in Dublin, on the Grand Canal

Diplomatic relations between Canada and Ireland was established on September 11, 1939.[2] John Hall Kelly was appointed as Canada's first High Commissioner in Ireland on December 28, 1939.[2] On April 17, 1949, Ireland severed its formal association with the Commonswealth, and the Canadian embassy to the newly independent Ireland was established on July 17, 1949.[2]

List of ambassadors of Canada to Ireland[edit]

No. Name Term of office Career Prime Minister nominated by Ref.
Start date PoC. End date
— High Commissioner of Canada to Ireland
1 John Hall Kelly December 28, 1939 March 9, 1940 March 9, 1941 Non-Career W. L. Mackenzie King
(1935–1948) 		[a][b]
2 John Doherty Kearney July 31, 1941 August 26, 1941 Non-Career
3 Merchant M. Mahoney November 19, 1945 May 4, 1946 Career [a]
4 Edward Joseph Garland May 4, 1946 March 19, 1947 Non-Career
5 William Ferdinand Alphonse Turgeon October 24, 1946 March 19, 1947 June 30, 1949 Non-Career
— Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Ireland
– David Moffat Johnson
(Chargé d'Affaires) 		July 17, 1949 December 1949 Career Louis St. Laurent
(1948–1957) 		[c]
6 William Ferdinand Alphonse Turgeon January 23, 1950 July 17, 1950 April 20, 1955 Non-Career
– Jean Chapdelaine
(Chargé d'Affaires) 		January 23, 1950 July 17, 1950 Career
7 Alfred Rive August 16, 1955 July 7, 1963 Career
– Paul Vernon McLane
(Chargé d'Affaires) 		July 7, 1963 March 29, 1965 Career Lester B. Pearson
(1963–1968)
8 Evan William Thistle Gill November 6, 1964 March 29, 1965 March 22, 1968 Career
9 James Joachim McCardle October 8, 1968 January 16, 1969 Career Pierre Elliott Trudeau
(1968–1979 & 1980–1984)
10 Harold Morton Maddick May 25, 1972 October 17, 1972 August 31, 1976 Career
11 Edgar Ritchie June 29, 1976 October 27, 1976 November 7, 1980 Career
12 Alan William Sullivan February 12, 1981 Career
13 Edgar J. Benson September 3, 1982 November 25, 1982 Non-Career
– Gustav Gad Rezek
(Chargé d'Affaires) 		1985 May 12, 1986 Career Brian Mulroney
(1984–1993)
14 Dennis McDermott January 28, 1986 May 15, 1986 May 24, 1989 Non-Career
15 Mike Wadsworth August 24, 1989 October 17, 1989 October 22, 1994 Non-Career
16 Barry Michael Mawhinney July 12, 1994 November 4, 1994 October 4, 1996 Career Jean Chrétien
(1993–2003)
17 Michael B. Phillips September 24, 1996 November 5, 1996 September 11, 1998 Career
18 Ron Irwin September 4, 1998 September 24, 1998 Non-Career
– William Gusen
(Chargé d'Affaires) 		October 10, 2001 August 1, 2002 Career
19 Mark Moher July 2, 2002 September 10, 2002 August 8, 2006 Career
20 Chris Westdal September 20, 2006 October 24, 2006 December 7, 2006 Career Stephen Harper
(2006–2015)
– Carl Schwenger
(Chargé d'Affaires) 		December 7, 2006 Career
21 Pat Binns August 13, 2007 October 2, 2007 September 3, 2010 Non-Career [d]
22 Loyola Hearn November 17, 2010 January 12, 2011 August 26, 2014 Non-Career [d]
23 Kevin Vickers January 19, 2015 January 21, 2015 March 2, 2019 Non-Career [3][d]
24 Nancy Smyth March 23, 2021 June 17, 2021 Career Justin Trudeau
(2015–Present) 		[1]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b Died in office
  2. ^ High Commissioner Kelly is the only Canadian head of mission to be buried in Ireland, where he died in office as High Commissioner.
  3. ^ Canada severed its formal association with Ireland on 17 April 1949. The Canadian Embassy in the Republic of Ireland was established on 17 July 1949, with representatives having the rank of Ambassador.
  4. ^ a b c Ambassadors Binns, Hearn and Vickers are a few Irish-Canadians whom have had the honour of serving in the post.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Orders In Council PC 2021-0181". orders-in-council.canada.ca. Government of Canada. March 23, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c DeLong 2020, p. 47.
  3. ^ "Kevin Vickers named ambassador to Ireland". CBC News. January 8, 2015.
Bibliography

External links[edit]

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