IEA CEO Simon McKeever Attends Official Opening of Ireland’s EU Council Presidency

The IEA CEO, Simon McKeever, was honoured to attend the Official Opening Ceremony of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU at Dublin Castle on Wednesday July 1st.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and European Council President António Costa gave speeches that marked the start of Ireland’s six-month tenure at the helm of the EU Council.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Tánaiste Simon Harris, Helen McEntee, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence, Seán Canney, TD for Galway East, Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European Affairs, also delivered speeches at the ceremony.

The event also featured speeches by an acclaimed Irish actress Carrie Crowley, a renowed Irish-Ethiopian actress Ruth Negga, who also gave a reading of Seamus Heaney’s Beacons at Bealtaine, and a memorable performance of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” by a Nigerian-Irish soul artist Tolü Makay and the Dublin Youth Choir.

For Irish exporters, this Presidency represents a significant opportunity — to shape European trade policy, strengthen our voice in Brussels, and champion the interests of Irish businesses operating in global markets.