Biographical Note

New Permanent Representative of Ireland Presents Credentials

 

(Based on information provided by the Protocol and Liaison Service)

The new Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations, David Donoghue, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today.

During a career that spanned many years in the diplomatic service of his country, Mr. Donoghue’s latest posting, since 2009, was as Political Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin.  Previously, he was Ireland’s Ambassador to Germany, from 2006 to 2009, and prior to that, from 2004 to 2006, Ambassador to Austria and the Vienna-based United Nations agencies.

Mr. Donoghue was Ambassador to the Russian Federation, with side accreditations to Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, from 1999 to 2001.  He was named Director-General of the Irish Government’s development cooperation programme, known as Irish Aid, in 2001.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Donoghue had postings to the Irish Embassies in the Holy See (1977-1978) and Germany (1978-1983), as well as the Irish Permanent Mission to the United Nations (1987-1988).  He was seconded to the French and Italian Foreign Ministries (1984-1985) as part of a support service for what is today the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.

Upon entering Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs in 1975, Mr. Donoghue spent time working at the Irish Embassy in London and as head of the Anglo-Irish Secretariat in Belfast.  He spent a combined total of 17 years working on the Northern Ireland problem and Anglo-Irish relations.  He was closely involved in the negotiation of both the Anglo-Irish Agreement and the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr. Donoghue holds a Master of Arts degree in German from the National University of Ireland (NUI), as well as a Bachelor of Arts in French and German from the same institution.

Born in Dublin in 1952, he is married and has one son.

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For information media • not an official record