Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to visit Ireland next week

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to visit Dublin and County Mayo next week, marking his inaugural trip to Ireland since assuming his role in March 2025. This visit is significant as it represents the first bilateral engagement by a Canadian prime minister in Ireland in almost ten years and is the first official visit to County Mayo.

Carney, who previously served as Governor of the Bank of England, will hold meetings with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin and President Catherine Connolly. His visit underscores his familial ties to Ireland, with his grandparents hailing from County Mayo. The trip is part of a broader tour that includes Paris for the upcoming 2026 G7 Leader’s Summit in Evian, France.

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Ireland and France are two of Canada’s closest and longest-standing partners. In an increasingly uncertain world, we are deepening these ties – and those across the G7 – to build greater certainty, security, and prosperity for Canadians and our partners across the globe.

"Ireland and France are two of Canada’s closest and longest-standing partners," Carney stated. "In an increasingly uncertain world, we are deepening these ties – and those across the G7 – to build greater certainty, security, and prosperity for Canadians and our partners across the globe." His itinerary includes discussions in Dublin on strengthening bilateral relations, particularly focusing on economic cooperation through the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which is nearing ratification by the Oireachtas. The leaders will also address ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Bilateral trade between Canada and Ireland was valued at approximately €3.7 billion in 2025. The prime minister's agenda prioritizes enhancing cultural and people-to-people connections, alongside expanding collaboration in agri-food, digital innovation, AI, pharmaceuticals, and climate initiatives. This visit follows Carney's earlier advocacy at the World Economic Forum for "middle power" countries to forge stronger alliances, suggesting a strategy to reduce reliance on the United States.

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The prime minister is proud of his Irish heritage, and we will be discussing ways to strengthen our bilateral relations even further. Canada is an important economic partner for Ireland, with strong trade in goods and services in both directions. CETA is close to be being fully ratified by the Oireachtas, so this is an ideal time to explore further options for economic co-operation across a range of sectors.