The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, and the Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne TD, will today (23 July) take part in an official flag raising ceremony hosted by Meath County Council in Navan to mark Ireland's EU Presidency.

Joined by the Italian Ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Mr Nicola Faganello, and the Irish Ambassador to Italy, H.E. Ms Elizabeth McCullough, the Irish, EU, Italian, and county flags will be raised above Buvinda House, to celebrate the pairing of Meath and Italy for the duration of Ireland's EU Presidency. A commemorative tree-planting will follow, a sign of the enduring friendship that will continue beyond the EU Presidency.

As part of the Irish EU Presidency County Pairing programme, previously launched by Minister McEntee and Minister Byrne, the Ambassadors will conduct a three-day programme in Meath in October, in addition to a range of community-based events to celebrate Meath-Italy ties.

Commenting on the event, Minister McEntee said: "The EU Presidency county pairings initiative allows us to showcase the best of our local communities, and create and develop lasting connections with our EU neighbours. I am delighted to see Meath County Council work so closely with cultural, business, and educational partners to make a success of this pairing opportunity. Meath and Italy have close ties, be that through the existing twinning of Navan with Bobbio and Broccostella, or Italian language education at secondary school level.

"Our focus throughout Ireland's EU Presidency is on delivering, in a meaningful way, for citizens across our Union - whether by strengthening online safety for children, helping small businesses to grow and create jobs, strengthening European cooperation in the fight against crime, or supporting mobility across Europe for students and researchers. The county parings programme helps to highlight how our work at EU level during the Presidency is directly relevant to people and communities across Ireland."

Commenting on the event, Minister Byrne remarked: "Today's occasion is a warm celebration of the Irish EU Presidency County Pairing programme, and the friendship shared, between Meath and Italy. Both Meath and Italy have a rich and distinct culture and heritage, including food, craft, and design, and I look forward to seeing the relationship between Meath and Italy grow through the engaging events to come. The Irish EU Presidency has proved a success to date, and I believe that part of this success is owed to our determination to have our EU Presidency rooted in communities across Ireland, including in Meath."

The Irish EU Presidency County Pairings programme is an important feature of Ireland's EU Presidency, an initiative developed to ensure that communities across the country have the opportunity to engage with the EU Presidency, and contribute to the ongoing development of Ireland's place in the EU and its relationships with its EU neighbours.

Joint visits by Irish and resident EU Member State Ambassadors to their designated county will feature public talks in libraries and universities, allowing citizens to hear first-hand about the work of the Council, including perspectives from European neighbours. Engagements with schools and community groups are designed to be inclusive, bring communities together and raise awareness about opportunities for travel, training, youth mobility, and education.

ENDS

Details of the pairings between counties and EU Member States for the duration of Ireland's EU Presidency were announced in January 2026: EU Presidency County Pairings announced by Ministers McEntee and Byrne.

As part of this initiative, Local Authorities have been supported to organise public activities in their local area celebrating the pairings, through grants provided through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Communicating Europe Initiative: Communicating Europe Initiative grant applications opened by Minister McEntee and Minister Byrne