Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Saint Patrick’s Day: an interview with Ireland’s Ambassador HE Michael Forbes

БНР Новини
Photo: Ani Petrova, BNR

The population of Ireland is about 6.3 million, but it is estimated that 50 to 80 million people around the world have Irish origin making the Irish diaspora one of the biggest of any nation. In USA alone the Irish nowadays exceed 40,000,000 people.

Michael Forbes has been Ireland’s Ambassador to Bulgaria since October 2016. Prior to his appointment in Bulgaria, Ambassador Forbes served as Permanent Representative of Ireland to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) andPermanent Delegate  of  UNESCO in Paris. 

From 2009 to 2012, he was the Director for Europe and Asia at the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Prior to that he served as Ireland's Ambassador to Israel. 

Michael Forbes is also the ambassador of Ireland to Armenia and Georgia where there are no embassies of the Republic of Ireland.

Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th all over the world. On the occasion of this special for every Irish Day  Assia Chaneva talks to HE Michael Forbes about his impressions of Bulgaria and Bulgarians. From the audio file you will hear also more about the relations between Bulgaria and Ireland as well as what the concerns for Ireland and Irish people are in the aftermath BREXIT.






Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The frozen Danube (1985)

The frozen Danube is now just a hard-to-believe memory for residents of ‎Bulgaria's Silistra

Four decades have passed since the longest freezing of the Danube River waters, which the residents of the Bulgarian towns along the Danube remember. In 1985, the river was covered in ice for two whole months - from January 16 to March 16. Then the ice..

published on 3/9/25 7:05 AM

On Women's Day, traffic police in Vratsa and Burgas give flowers to female drivers

For another year, traffic police in Vratsa and the Burgas region have stopped women drivers - not for violations, but to surprise them with a tulip and a greeting in honour of International Women's Day on March 8. The initiative in Vratsa took place..

published on 3/8/25 5:22 PM

Sea near Varna turns brown due to plankton bloom

An investigation carried out after a signal was received about an unnatural dark brown colour of the water near the beach in the Varna district of Asparuhovo , as well as in the entire area of the port of Varna on the Black Sea coast, has revealed that..

published on 3/8/25 4:15 PM