Conversation with the Consul General of Ireland

HomeIRELAND IN 2021: The Outlook on Travel, Citizenship & Brexit

IRELAND IN 2021: The Outlook for Travel, Citizenship and Brexit

Thursday, January 14, 7:00 pm

Thank you to the 100+ attendees who participated in our "Ireland in 2021: The Outlook for Travel, Citizenship and Brexit" event on January 14th, featuring Kevin Byrne, the Consul General of Ireland to Chicago.

We're pleased that even though this was an online event the discussion was still informative and lively, and look forward to hosting similar events in the future.

Mr. Byrne discussed and took questions about eligibility and applying for an Irish passport as a US citizen and what to expect in 2021 when traveling to Ireland. Other areas discussed were how Brexit is shaping relations with Northern Ireland, the UK and the EU and the role of the Consul General's office in Chicago.

Links to information discussed at the event:

Consulate General of Ireland, Chicago contact information: bit.ly/WSIConsulGeneralContactInfo

Irish Community Services Midwest: www.irishchicago.org

Process of obtaining citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland (Foreign Birth Registration): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOOR0KQ_pWY

Irish Passport Application: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLtF1RulSBM

Video and Audio Recordings of the Presentation and Q&A:

Irish Consul Video: Introduction

Audio Consul Audio: Entire Presentation

About CG Byrne

Mr. Byrne was appointed Consul General to the Midwestern United States in September 2020.

He joined the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs in 2010 and has served in EU Division, Corporate Services, and in Ireland’s Consulate in San Francisco. He also worked in the Department of the Taoiseach – Prime Minister – where he planned Ireland's successful 2013 Presidency of the European Union. Prior to taking up post in Chicago, Kevin was secretary to the Management Board of the Department and policy liaison with Áras an Uachtaráin – the office of the President.

Before joining the foreign service, Kevin worked in the European institutions in Brussels, the think tank sector in London, and taught in France and Japan. He is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, the London School of Economics, and a Naughton scholar. Kevin is married to his husband, Aristotle.

From his base in Chicago – a city with a strong Irish heritage - Kevin along with the Consulate team will be working to promote Ireland and Irish interests in the region and to further strengthen the links between Ireland and the Midwest.

The Honorable Kevin Byrne, the Consul General of Ireland to Chicago