The Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Niall Burgess, along with fellow DFA officials John Concannon and Claire Coughlan, and Commandant Colin Campbell of the Irish Defence Forces, recently visited the Dominican College, Taylor's Hill, to present the school with a UN flag as part of the UN's global schools project.
Mr Burgess and Mr Concannon spoke to the students about the role of the UN in the world, Ireland's important role in the UN, and the work of Irish embassies and diplomats across the globe. Ms Coughlan told the students about her recent experience coordinating Irish aid efforts in the war-torn Central African Republic, and Comdt Cambpell spoke about his time working in Kosovo and the Lebanon as a UN peace keeper.
The speakers gave the girls an excellent insight into the international roles undertaken by Ireland across the globe, and stressed the importance of that work and Ireland's influence and impact relative to its size. The girls asked the speakers many probing and insightful questions and gave feedback on their priorities, which Mr Burgess in particular was eager to receive.
