Biography
Martina Feeney took up duty as the Ambassador of Ireland to Bulgaria, and also, in a non-resident capacity, to Armenia and Georgia in October 2020 following four years as Director of the Human Rights Unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin. Prior to that, she was the Representative of Ireland in Palestine from March 2014 to August 2016.
From 2008 to 2013, she was the Deputy Head of the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. This period encompassed the Irish Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2012.
From 2005 to 2008, Ambassador Feeney was seconded to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment as Head of the Licensing Unit, Ireland’s export control authority. During this time, she chaired the Expert Group of the Wassenaar Arrangement – the export control regime for conventional arms and dual use goods – in 2007 and 2008.
From 2001 to 2005, Ambassador Feeney served in the Political Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs, as Deputy Director OSCE and Council of Europe and later Deputy Director Europe. Previous assignments at HQ include Development Cooperation Division and Consular Services. From 1997 to 2001, she served at the Embassy of Ireland in Germany as the Press, Information and Cultural Affairs Officer. Ambassador Feeney joined the Department in 1990 and her first overseas assignment was to the Embassy of Ireland Vienna/Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN in Vienna from 1991 to 1994.