BRITISH AMBASSADOR to Ireland Julian King yesterday stressed the strong commercial links between the two countries, and in particular the potential of more British tourists to provide economic growth in Ireland.
However, pressed continuously about the possibility a visit by the queen to Killarney and to Muckross House which itself had hosted a visit by Queen Victoria in 1861, Mr King gave very little away.
There were a million extra potential visitors that could be attracted, he said.
Mr King was speaking to reporters in the Edwardian boardroom of the State-owned Muckross House, on his first official visit to Co Kerry during a relaxed press meeting in which he insisted on being called “Julian”.
Mr King had accepted an invitation from the chairman of the board of trustees, Marcus Treacy, also a director of Killarney Golf and Fishing Club, to lunch and to visit Muckross House on a day Killarney was bathed in sunshine
Last night, before meeting tourism representatives, he accepted an invitation to become honorary ambassador for Kerry tourism.
Today he will visit the Irish Open.
As to the royal visit, he said the governments and the President of Ireland and the queen were all committed to the visit, “and the Government was talking to the palace about how best to take that forward”. He was very encouraged by the public response, and the embassy had received a lot of letters inviting the queen to visit. However, it would not be possible for the queen to visit every place.
His appointment as ambassador to Ireland came against a background of tough economic times for both countries, Mr King said.
There were “huge commercial links” between the two countries, he stressed.
As well as trade and tourism, the financial service links were enormous, with banks operating between both jurisdictions. There were some 43,000 Irish directors of British companies, more than any other nationality, apart from British people. It was important for “both economies” that the economic links were strengthened, he said.
Energy supply, climate and so on were best-tackled together by both countries, said Mr King.
“Right now, there is a potential area of the economy we should be focusing on and that is tourism.”