“Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Patrick Delaney of Orlando has been appointed as the new honorary consul of Ireland, stepping into a role that bridges the Emerald Isle and Central Florida,” reported The Florida Bar News on March 17, 2025.

On March 13, RumbergerKirk hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony where Irish government officials officially launched the opening of the new honorary consul office in Orlando at RumbergerKirk. Sarah Kavanagh, consul general of Ireland in Miami and Ireland’s Minister for Transport, Climate, Environment and Energy Darragh O’Brien TD (indicating he is a member of the lower house of Ireland’s parliament) announced Delaney’s appointment in conjunction with the opening of RumbergerKirk’s new office in Orlando.

The job of the honorary consulate has three primary aims, Delaney said.

“First is to provide consular assistance to higher citizens in need –– that’s a primary directive,” he said. “One of the things that I’ll have a significant hand in is emergency travel needs of Irish citizens that arise, specifically in Orlando and the Central Florida area. The most common example is an Irish citizen loses their passport and they need emergency travel documents to be able to return home. I can assist them in verifying their identity and then issuing emergency travel documents so that they can get home. The second goal is to help establish strong economic relationships between Ireland and Central Florida and then the third [goal] is to support the local Irish community.”

“Many of the Irish citizens who are going to come to us are going to do so in a time of distress and uncertainty and we’re going to approach them with kindness, respect, and empathy, Delaney said. “I want them to know that they can come to us without any hesitation or any reservations and feel confident that they’re going to receive the assistance that they need.” 

Read the full article