Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has touched down in Ireland, launching a two-day official visit that will take him from the heart of Dublin to Co Mayo, where his family roots run deep.
Mr Carney, who is being accompanied by his wife Diana Fox Carney, were greeted on the red carpet at Dublin Airport by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and his wife Mary.
Canadian ambassador to Ireland Dennis King and his wife Jana Hemphill were also present, as well as Irish ambassador to Canada John Concannon and his wife Mary.
The weekend visit by the Canadian prime minister to the country of his forebears comes at a pivotal moment for Ireland and Canada, with both countries looking to reinforce ties amid shifting global trade conditions.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and his wife Mary welcome the Carneys to Ireland
Mr Carney has repeatedly argued that Canada should broaden its alliances and pursue new markets, lessening its reliance on the United States. With uncertainty hanging over international trade involving the US, Ireland is also positioning Canada as a key partner to expand trade in goods and services.
The Ireland stop is one leg of a six day whistle-stop tour to Europe: Mr Carney visited France yesterday and is due to return there to participate in the G7 summit.
Emmanuel Macron with Mark Carney at The Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris
His first engagement in Ireland will take place at Government Buildings, where he and the Taoiseach are set to hold talks before facing the media at a joint press conference.
Later, following a visit to Trinity College, Mr Carney will attend an official State dinner in Dublin Castle. He is expected to meet other members of the Government and deliver a speech.
Gardaí expect some rolling traffic delays in the city centre.
Delighted to welcome Canadian Prime Minister @MarkJCarney and Madame Diana Fox Carney to Ireland.
An opportunity to strengthen the close bonds between our two countries. pic.twitter.com/M9VNYxWizC
Tomorrow, attention shifts west, with traffic delays and restrictions likely in Mayo. The official programme there is due to begin in Westport, when Mr Carney meets President Catherine Connolly in the historic setting of Westport House.
He will then travel to the area his family hails from, with plans to attend Mass in the parish church and visit the Aughagower graveyard.
Aughagower graveyard in Co Mayo
A civic reception in Westport later on, held in his honour, will bring the historic visit to a close.
Ireland and Canada already have a robust trading relationship, but that is expected to deepen further as Ireland will shortly ratify the CETA trade agreement, which has been operational for a number of years.
Trade in goods and services between the countries has already expanded from €3.2 billion in 2016 to €12 billion in 2024.
Among the Canadian products imported here are cereals, while pharmaceutical products lead Irish exports to Canada.
Irish emigration to North America is often most closely associated with the United States, yet Irish Canadians are the third largest ethnic group in Canada, with 4.5 million people or 12% of the population claiming Irish heritage.
Watch: Mark Carney and his wife Diana Fox Carney arriving at Dublin Airport
Evidence of that connection surfaced in the Canadian House of Commons five years ago, when a motion designating March as Irish Heritage month was adopted.
While migration links stretch back centuries, Ireland and Canada have maintained diplomatic relations for the last 87 years, a relationship that remains strong today.
Ireland has an embassy in Ottawa and consulates in Vancouver and Toronto while Canada has an embassy in Dublin.
According to the prime minister’s office, while in Ireland Mr Carney will focus on “deepening longstanding cultural and people-to-people ties and expanding trade ties”.
Canada also views Ireland as one of its “most like minded partners in the European Union”, with both countries sharing “core democratic values and common priorities”.
This is the first official visit to Ireland by a Canadian prime minister in nearly a decade, and the first official visit ever by a Canadian prime minister to Co Mayo.
Two of Mr Carney’s grandparents emigrated from Aughagower in 1925, adding a personal dimension to the trip. The visit will be a homecoming for Mark Carney, where he will get to catch up with all of his Mayo cousins.
While his father reportedly visited decades ago, locals say this visit is Mr Carney’s first.
