This article covers cultural, educational and people-to-people links between India and Ireland, and the Indian community living in Ireland. It includes literary and cultural connections, the commemoration of the Air India Kanishka bombing, education and academic chairs, tourism, and the size and profile of the diaspora. It draws on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief of May 2026, and numbers reflect the position stated there.

Tagore and Yeats

According to the MEA brief of May 2026, the Nobel laureates Rabindranath Tagore and W.B. Yeats inspired each other. Yeats wrote the introduction to Tagore's Gitanjali, which first appeared in 1913.

Cultural events

The brief states that the Embassy of India supports the local Indian community in its various cultural performances, representing various States. A major event in the cultural calendar is the annual Indian Film Festival, with screenings of contemporary films, participation of film actors and directors, and thematic panel discussions.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) sponsored the visit of a 16-member Tagore Theatrical group led by Mrs. Dona Ganguly on 19-21 August 2022, as part of celebrations to commemorate 75 years of Indian Independence. The group performed 'Mayar Khela', the musical dance-drama written by Rabindranath Tagore.

The International Day of Yoga, IDY-25, was celebrated by the Embassy in Dublin and in the counties of Cork, Galway and Limerick, and the event was live-streamed.

Recognition of an Irish Sanskrit teacher

Rutger Kortenhorst, an Irish national, was awarded the ICCR World Sanskrit Award-2020 for his contribution to the teaching and promotion of Sanskrit at John Scottus School, Dublin. He was also awarded the Padma Shri, announced on 25 January 2022, in the field of Literature and Education.

India-Ireland Friendship Lecture Series

In May 2022, the Embassy inaugurated the "India-Ireland Friendship Lecture Series". Under the programme, eminent persons are invited to deliver lectures in their field of expertise, in person or virtually, and the lectures are broadcast live through the Embassy's Facebook portal. The brief describes the series as the most effective instrument of public diplomacy and soft power engagement with Ireland, in culture as well as business, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Kanishka commemoration

The brief states that people-to-people relations were particularly strengthened after the crash of the Air India aircraft Kanishka off the south-western coast of Ireland on 23 June 1985, in a terrorist bombing. It records that the solidarity, support and assistance extended by the local population to the victims' families created a unique bond.

A commemorative stone plaque was installed at the village of Ahakista, near the site of the crash, and an annual commemoration ceremony is organised by the local community. Every year the Indian Ambassador attends the commemoration service at Ahakista. Minister of State for External Affairs Gen V.K. Singh (Retd) attended the 30th anniversary on 23 June 2015.

On 23 June 2025, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, led a high level delegation to the event marking the 40th Anniversary of the Air India Kanishka (AI 182) bombing. The delegation included senior legislators from Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, UP, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Delhi.

Education

The brief describes Ireland as a significant destination for Indian students seeking higher education, particularly post-graduate, doctoral and post-doctoral students in engineering, technology, medicine and management. As of the brief, there are about 13,000 Indian students in Irish higher educational institutions.

Academic links recorded in the brief include:

  • An MOU between Trinity College and Thapar University, Patiala, for a joint degree programme in five engineering and science disciplines.
  • An ICCR Chair on Politics and International Affairs at Dublin City University (DCU), renewed on 20 July 2021.
  • An agreement on establishment of an ICCR Chair for India studies at University College Cork, signed on 13 September 2021.

The brief also states that a short-duration ICCR Chair on Indian Studies exists at DCU and University College Cork (UCC). A delegation of 7 Vice Chancellors from leading Indian universities visited Ireland in February 2025. An MOU on an Education Exchange Programme is in the pipeline.

Cultural agreements

An Agreement on Cooperation in Culture is among the agreements signed between India and Ireland, and further arrangements on Cultural Exchanges are listed in the brief as in the pipeline.

Tourism

As per the latest available figures cited in the brief, around 44,000 Irish tourists visit India annually, and a similar number of Indian visitors come to Ireland. Indian tourism events and road shows are organised annually. In September 2019, the Minister of Tourism of Punjab visited Ireland to take part in an India Tourism Road Show.

The Indian community in Ireland

According to the brief, there are approx. 80,000 Indian origin persons in Ireland, of whom approx. 33,898 are PIOs and approx. 40,000 are NRIs, along with approx. 13,000 Indian students. The bulk of the community works in health-care, IT, engineering and senior management positions. The brief describes the community as well-regarded locally and well integrated into Irish society. It also notes that former Irish PM Leo Varadkar has Indian ancestry, with an Indian father and an Irish mother.

Secretary (CPV & OIA) visited Ireland on 4-5 April 2022 and participated in the Global Diaspora Summit, 2022.