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Please be advised that the Embassy of Ireland, Switzerland website has moved and this page is no longer being updated. The Embassy website is now available at Ireland.ie/berne.

2015 News & Events

December

Songs from Ireland: Old and New, Bern, 12 & 13 December

December 2015

The show “Songs from Ireland: Old and New” which features some of Ireland’s finest musicians including Nicole Maguire, Mark Geary, Caitlín Nic Gabhann and Ciarán Ó Maonaigh, Lorcán O Dwyer and Gráinne Hunt, will be coming to Bern’s La Cappella on 12 and 13 December.

For more information

The Geneva Literary Aid Society will hold a Christmas Concert featuring The Voice Squad and John Spillane in Geneva on Saturday 5th December.

Click here for further information

November

The Irish group Scéalta will play a concert in Amsoldingen church at 6 pm on 22 November

22 November 2015

Click here for further information

Irish Baroque Orchestra to perform in Lausanne on 15 November

15 November 2015

The Irish Baroque Orchestra, Ireland's premiere period ensemble, will perform Handel's magnificent masterpiece, Messiah, at the Lausanne Opera House on Sunday, 15 November. The performance takes place as part of the prestigious Lausanne Bach Festival programme which this year celebrates the work of important female musicians and directors.

The IBO is very grateful for the support of Culture Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland in Bern in realising this event.

Tickets and more info

IBO web site

October

A celebration of the Life of W.B. Yeats, 5 October at 14.00, Grange de Dorigny, University of Lausanne

5 October 2015

The Department of English at the University of Lausanne will host the National Library of Ireland's exhibition on the life and work of W.B. Yeats from 5 to 9 October. On 5 October, leading academics from the Universities of Lausanne and Geneva will lead workshops on Yeats' poetry and lecture on his life and passions. All are welcome to visit the exhibition and participate in the events.

For more information visit the University website.

September

Performance by Tale of the Gale on Sunday 27 September at 15.45 at the CPO, Lausanne

27 September 2015

All are welcome to attend an afternoon tea and a recital of Irish music, poetry and song with the Tale of the GAle to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of W.B. Yeats. See the attached flyer for further details.

Performance by Tale of the Gale on Friday 25 September at 19.30 in the Saal Karl der Grosse, Zurich

25 September 2015

Tale of the Gael meets with Irish writer E.B. Yeats; an evening of Irish music and poetry to celebrate 150th anniversary of the birth of W.B. Yeats. See the attached flyer for further details.

Promotion of Irish Food and Drinks Products in Globus

September 2015

The Embassy is delighted that Globus will feature a range of Irish produce in its food and drinks department as part of its annual September promotion. Featured products include Keogh’s Irish crisps, Teeling’s whiskey and Longueville House Cider. Please go along to your nearest Globus Food store to support Irish producers. You might also like to check out the range of Irish themed recipes that Irish Chef Clare Nash of the Nash 19 Restaurant in Cork has prepared for the Globus website.

Irish Folk Night, Lenk

12 September 2015

Father and daughter team, Mick and Mairead Hickey, as well as Irish folk group Scéalta will peform in Lenk during an evening dedicated to traditional Irish music.

“Knock Knock”: Talk by Jim LeBlanc of Cornell University at the Zurich James Joyce Foundation

8 September 2015

Jim LeBlanc has been examining the effects of Joyce’s narra­tive technique on readers of Finnegans Wake, es­pecially those that push us towards the threshold of interpretive impropriety. He will talk about the ways in which intertextual corres­pondences both disrupt and enable our attempts to read Joyce’s most challenging work. The talk begins at 7.30pm.

Exhibition by Irish Artist, Brian Duggan, Basel

4 September - 15 October 2015

An exhibition in Basel by Brian Duggan, an Irish artist, entitled “The Last Day Diary Redux”. The exhibition will run from 4 September to 15 October at Balzer Projects, Wallstrasse 10, 4051 Basel. The vernissage, which everyone is welcome to attend, will take place from 17.00 to 21.00 on 4 September. The Exhibition is supported by both the Arts Council of Ireland and Culture Ireland.

Irish OpenAir Music Festival in Toggenburg

4-5 September 2015

The seventh annual Irish Openair Festival Toggenburg will be held on 4 & 5 September. The music festival offers a broad variety of Irish and Celtic music highlights. Visitors can participate in three different workshops on Irish culture and music and enjoy a variety of culinary highlights from Switzerland and Ireland.


May

Minister Flanagan visits Switzerland

6-7 May 2015

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan, T.D, paid a two-day visit to Switzerland on 6-7 May.


April

Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad

April 2015

Do you know someone who has given sustained and distinguished service to Ireland and/or Irish communities in Switzerland? The Government established the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad in 2012. It provides recognition by the Irish State for persons living abroad (primarily Irish citizens, those entitled to Irish citizenship and those of Irish descent), who has given sustained and distinguished service to Ireland and/or Irish communities abroad in the areas of Irish Community Support, Arts, Culture and Sport, Charitable Works, Business and Education and Peace, Reconciliation and Development. Applications for nominees resident in Switzerland should be sent to the Irish Embassy in Bern by 22 April 2015.

For more information visit our website.

 


March

Mr. Kevin Humphreys TD, Minister of State at Department of Social Protection, travelled to Switzerland from 13-15 March as part of the Government's St. Patrick's Day 'Promote Ireland' programme. He held meetings with members of the Irish Business Network and consultations with a major multinational investor in Ireland as well as attending a number of Irish community events organised by the Geneva Irish Association and the Basel Irish Club.


January

Taoiseach Enda Kenny attended the Annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos

25 January 2015

Taoiseach Enda Kenny attended the Annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos which took place from 21-24 January 2015. The Annual Meeting is attended by political and business leaders and heads of international organisations from across the globe. The Taoiseach participated in a number of formal events on the programme on prevailing global economic matters including a live panel debate on economic growth and political stability in Europe. He also participated in an event attended by senior executives of a major international companies organised by IDA Ireland to promote Ireland as an excellent business location. He met individually with leaders of several major multinational firms from a variety of fields, principally in the high-tech and financial services areas. The World Economic Forum provides an exceptional opportunity to interact with key players in the business world.