Meath paired with Italy for Ireland’s EU Presidency

Meath has been paired with Italy as part of a new national initiative aimed at engaging communities across Ireland during the country’s upcoming Presidency of the European Union.

The initiative was announced by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Helen McEntee TD and Minister of State for European Affairs Thomas Byrne TD, and is designed to strengthen public engagement with Ireland’s European relationships during the EU Presidency, which will run from July to December 2026.

Under the programme, each county in Ireland will be paired with a specific EU Member State for the duration of the Presidency. Ambassadors from EU countries based in Ireland, accompanied by the Irish ambassador in the relevant EU capital, will visit counties to take part in a series of public engagements focused on Ireland’s role within the European Union.

In Meath, the visits will involve the Italian Ambassador to Ireland, Nicola Faganello, and are expected to include talks at local libraries, visits to schools, and engagement with local authorities, as well as sporting, youth, community and civil society organisations.

The initiative is intended to strengthen links between communities across Ireland and other EU Member States, while also highlighting Ireland’s leadership role at European level during its Presidency.

Welcoming the announcement, Minister Byrne said the programme builds on strong local interest in European affairs.

“Since last year, I have visited communities across Meath and Ireland to talk with people about the importance of our EU membership and the role that Ireland will play during our EU Presidency,” he said. “The strong interest in discussing Ireland’s place in the EU and our relationships with other parts of Europe has been very evident.”

He added that the pairing with Italy would help deepen connections between Meath communities and European partners.

“I know this initiative will help to build on that interest in County Meath and deepen the relationships communities across our county have with our European partners, especially Italy in this instance. I am grateful to the Ambassador of Italy, Nicola Faganello, for participating in this exciting initiative taking place across Ireland.”

Details of local events in Meath are expected to be announced closer to the start of the EU Presidency.