Skip to content

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney set to begin two-day visit to Ireland

Amy StewartBBC News NI
News imageGetty/NurPhoto Meeting Between Prime Minister Of Canada And French President In Paris Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney arrives for a meeting at the Presidential Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on June 12, 2026. (Photo by Daniel Pier/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Getty/NurPhoto
It will be the first bilateral visit to Ireland by a Canadian PM in nearly a decade - Prime Minister Mark Carney is pictured here on Friday in France, where he met President Emmanuel Macron

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to begin an official two-day visit to the Republic of Ireland.

He and his wife Diana Fox Carney will arrive at Dublin Airport at about 10:00 local time and meet Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin.

It will be the first bilateral visit to the country by a Canadian prime minister since Justin Trudeau's in 2017.

Gardaí (Irish police) said the impact on traffic will be "localised and minimal," but there will be temporary rolling road closures to facilitate events and security escorts over the course of Saturday.

Saturday's meeting will take place in Government Buildings and later he will be hosted at a dinner in Dublin Castle.

The two leaders will agree a framework for a strategic and economic partnership.

He is also expected to visit Trinity College and give a speech.

Martin said it would be an "excellent occasion to celebrate and strengthen the bilateral relationship between Ireland and Canada".

"With such strong Irish heritage, it will also be an opportunity for Prime Minister Carney to celebrate and explore his Irish heritage, and I know Mayo is looking forward to welcoming him home."

On Sunday Carney, who has Irish heritage, will travel to County Mayo, in the west of the country, to visit the home of his paternal grandparents in Aghagower.

Carney's grandparents left the village more than 100 years ago for Canada.

While visiting Aughagower, Carney will attend Mass in the parish church and visit the nearby cemetery, where some of his ancestors are buried.

He also has a third grandparent from County Cavan.

He will later meet Irish President Catherine Connolly in Westport.

News imagePAUL FAITH/AFP via Getty Images) Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) is presented with an Ireland rugby union shirt and a pair of socks, by Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar (R) at Farmleigh House in Dublin on July 4, 2017.PAUL FAITH/AFP via Getty Images)
The last visit to Ireland by an Canadian president was former PM Justin Trudeau in 2017

The Irish government said that the taoiseach and Canadian PM will announce a new bilateral cooperation framework to "strengthen the partnership between the two countries across key areas including trade and investment, life sciences, research and innovation, and security and defence".

According to the Irish government, trade and economic ties between Ireland and Canada have expanded "significantly" in recent years.

Bilateral trade in goods and services has grown from €3.2bn (£2.76bn) in 2016 to more than €12bn (£10.35bn) in 2024.

They added that Canadian investment in Ireland has increased by 131% since 2016, while Ireland is now Canada's eighth largest foreign investor.