Charlestown man appointed Irish Ambassador to Argentina

Charlestown man appointed Irish Ambassador to Argentina


Anton McNulty

MAYO’S strong connections with Argentina is set to strengthen even-more following the announcement that Charlestown man, James McIntyre is to be appointed the new Irish Ambassador to Argentina.
Mr McIntyre, who is a native of Lowpark, Charlestown, is the son of the late Jimmy McIntyre and his mother is Breege McIntyre. He has worked in the Department of Foreign Affairs for over 20 years and is currently the Director of the Human Rights Unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs. In the past he has served as the Consul General in the Irish Consulate in New York and the Irish embassy in Paris.
The appointment as Irish Ambassador to Argentina at the age of 45 is seen by many as a significant promotion for Mr McIntyre given that the embassy also represents Ireland in Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.
When contacted by The Mayo News, Mr McIntyre confirmed that he had been appointed the new Irish Ambassador to Argentina but was unable to comment until the nomination was approved by the Argentinean Government. His brother, Eugene, who lives in Charlestown, said the family were all delighted for James and it was poignant that a Mayo man was made ambassador given the strong connections between Argentina and Mayo.
“We are all delighted for James and to be given the post as ambassador to Argentina is a great achievement.
He has been working in the department since he left school and maybe this would be the next step for him. It is a big honour for him to be given the post given the Foxford connections with Argentina and Admiral Brown and it is good that someone local has been appointed,” he said.
Oliver Murphy of the Admiral Brown Society told The Mayo News that they were delighted that a Mayo man was appointed to the role and this would continue to strengthen the county’s links with Argentina. The society have plans to establish a language school in Foxford for Argentinean students along with other projects and hope that the future ambassador can help them with their endeavors.
“We congratulate Mr McIntyre on his appointment and it is great that a Mayo man will hold the office as Irish Ambassador in Argentina. Around half a million people in Argentina claim to have Irish roots and virtue of the fact that he is a Mayoman, his appointment will strengthen the links with Admiral Brown” he said.
Charlestown based councillor, Gerry Murray said the town was delighted at the appointment and that his post was one of the biggest in South America.
“We are all delighted that a Charlestown man has been appointed to such a prominent position and I’m sure it is a big boost to the Admiral Brown project in Foxford. He is obviously a diplomat of some stature and his wide circle of friends and relatives are all delighted at this good news,” he said.

Facts about Argentina
Argentina is the second largest country in South America with a population of 40 million
Buenos Aires is the capital city with a population of three million
Foxford native Admiral William Brown is a national hero and founder of the Argentine Navy
500,000 Argentines consider themselves to have Irish roots and famous Irish Argentines include Admiral Brown and Che Guevara