Ambassador Hyland

Ambassador Hyland became Ambassador of Ireland to Mexico in August 2013. She presented her credentials to President Enrique Peña Nieto on 8 November 2013.

On behalf of the Embassy in Mexico City, I would like to welcome you to our website and hope that you will find it both interesting and useful.

Ireland and Mexico have many shared experiences, including colonial histories and a rich cultural diversity in both our countries. Both of us have had to deal with the problem of large scale emigration. Over the centuries, Irish people have had an important relationship with Mexico.

During the era of New Spain, many Spanish representatives in Mexico were descendents of Irish exiles to Spain. William Lamport (Guillén Lombardo) of Wexford brought radical ideas of racial equality, representative government and national independence to Mexico in the 17th century. Juan O’Donojú, the last Spanish Viceroy and the man who recognised Mexico’s independence, was of Irish descent. The story of the Irish soldiers who fought for Mexico against the US invasion, as part of the St. Patrick’s Battalion at the Battle of Churubusco in 1847, is well known to all Mexicans. We are also proud of the Irish heritage of some of Mexico’s most renowned cultural figures, such as architect Juan O’Gorman and the painter Pablo O’Higgins.

Today, Ireland and Mexico enjoy a strong and growing relationship, with increasing cultural, tourist and economic cooperation. In 2013, Mexico was Ireland’s 19th largest merchandise trade partner, with total trade valued at €1.006 billion. Exports were worth €690m and imports were €316 million.

The Embassy in Mexico City also represents Ireland in Cuba, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Colombia and Peru and works to promote cordial relations and foster mutual understanding between the Government and people of Ireland and each of these countries.

The Consulates of Ireland in Cancún (Mexico), Guatemala City (Guatemala), San Salvador (El Salvador), Panama City (Panama) and Bogotá (Colombia) are headed by Honorary Consuls who maintain close contact with the Embassy and who assist Irish citizens in consular matters.

While the Embassy is located in Mexico City, we aim to be accessible in all of the countries to which we are accredited. So wherever you are, we are here to assist you with any queries you may have.

Finally, if you have any suggestions for ways in which we can improve our website, please let us know. To sign up for our ezine please contact us. You can also follow us on Twitter at @IrishEmbMexico

Sonja Hyland
Ambassador