Lesson 2: Embassy of Ireland/Caribbean Taxi Drivers

Here’s hoping nobody notices the massive gap in time between blog posts! If anything, a testament to how insanely busy and enjoyable the past few weeks have been. In this post I wanted to focus on my internship. Like so many others who apply to the program, it becomes blatantly obvious that the Washington Ireland Program provides the greatest internship opportunities available to students on the entire island of Ireland.

This summer I’ve been extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to intern at the Embassy of Ireland here in Washington DC. The Embassy here is headed by His Excellency Ambassador Michael Collins. The Ambassador has led a highly successful and distinguished career. Prior to taking on the role of Irish Ambassador to the United States in 2007, he worked in the Department of the Taoiseach, and was one of the key players in the Northern Ireland Peace Process between 2001 and 2007. In the past he has been Ambassador to nations such as the Czech Republic and Saudi Arabia, and has held other diplomatic roles in various countries around the world, too numerous to mention.

I decided to apply for the internship here at the Embassy for a number of reasons. Firstly, I’ve always been intrigued at the notion that a country the size of Ireland is given so much face time here in the United States. I wanted to discover what it really meant to be an Irish diplomat trying to get your foot in the door here, and figure out what exactly they mean with that “special relationship” phrase they seem to always use. Secondly, the work done by the Foreign Service is something that I think goes unnoticed by most people back home. I was desperate to learn more about the role our Embassies play in ensuring the best for the people of Ireland. Finally, it was an opportunity to work for my country. Simple as that. I consider it a massive honour to have travelled 4,000 miles to one of the most interesting cities in the world, and yet still have the privilege to come and work in a building that proudly flies the Tricolour. I can assure you, I haven’t been disappointed!

During my first week here I was thrown in the deep end with some of the work handed to me, and I loved it! I was invited to attend a Bloomsday event at the Ambassador’s residence where I had an opportunity to meet with some very interesting people. Within the first few minutes I happened to bump into Richard Downes, the new RTE correspondent here in DC. It was only his second or third week here so we had a chat about how Washington works and what it’s like to be an Irish journalist fighting for position in the most powerful city in the world. Needless to say he certainly seemed to be coping better than poor Charlie! I was joined at the event by my fellow classmate (that sounds too formal, best mates the two of us are I swear) Aoife McKenna. Aoife is interning with Solas Nua, a contemporary Irish arts organisation here in the city. Solas Nua had brought along three actors to perform some readings from the James Joyce classic. It was a great night, and an incredible way to start my internship.

Since that first week, things have only improved. Obviously I won’t be mentioning everything I do here but needless to say it’s fantastic. I’ve not only enjoyed every minute of it but I’ve learnt an incredible amount of information, some of it more useful than others. For example, I’ve learnt about the issues behind the latest round of WTO negotiations and the areas that divide both developed and developing countries in ensuring fairer international trade agreements. However, I’ve also learnt that when trying to get a cab in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, it’s always best to ensure that your driver is a member of the official taxi association as otherwise they may triple the fare you had previously agreed on upon arrival…………….See what I mean?

Caribbean taxi drivers aside, the internships provided by this program are vast, numerous, and exciting. Whether you’re on the Hill, in the District, or at the Embassy, you will not be disappointed. Of course this program has so much more to offer than just the office you’ll be placed in, but you still can’t beat looking forward to work every morning. I’d just like to thank everyone here at the Embassy for the welcome I’ve received and all that they’ve taught me. It really is a great staff here, made up of incredibly talented people. Well, that’s one more topic done and dusted with, on to the next one.

Yours Sincerely,

His Excellency, Intern Eamonn Fitzgerald