ORLANDO, Fla. – Irish citizens have a new consul in Orlando if they need help while in the United States.
Representatives from the Irish government cut the ribbon on the new Honorary Consulate office Friday in Orlando, at the office of RumbergerKirk, and appointed attorney Patrick Delaney as Honorary Consul.
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Delaney will now be available to the more than 30,000 Irish residents who come to Orlando each year, according to the International Trade Administration.
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Orlando International Airport had the fifth-highest volume of travelers from Ireland in 2023 — 33,912 people — after New York, Newark, Boston and Chicago.
The honorary consul’s job includes helping Irish citizens with temporary travel documents in case of emergency, helping with local legal or medical systems, and helping in case of death or serious injury.
The consul also supports trade and economic development between Ireland and the Orlando area.
"Irish companies provide employment for nearly 16,000 people across Florida‚" said Darragh O’Brien, Irish Minister for Transport, Climate, Environment and Energy, who attended Friday’s ceremony.
"I look forward to working with (Delaney) to further strengthen the ties between Ireland and Florida in the years ahead,” he added.
Delaney, who was appointed via an open application process, is of Irish ancestry, with family members emigrating from County Cork in the early 1900s.
The Honorary Consul’s office has hours by appointment only.You can email Delaney at Patrick.Delaney@honoraryconsul.ie, or contact him at the office of RumbergerKirk on South Orange Avenue in Orlando.