Corkman Pat McCarthy to attend Irish PM's China reception

Shanghai, January 6, 2026 - Pat McCarthy, a Cork native and Chair of the Ireland Sino Institute, is due to attend a high-level reception in Shanghai on January 8 as part of the official visit to China by Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin.

The reception, scheduled for 6pm, will mark the closing stage of the Taoiseach's five-day programme in China, which includes engagements in Beijing and Shanghai focused on trade, investment, education and cultural exchange, according to official statements.

Pat McCarthy's attendance reflects a long-standing involvement in Ireland-China educational and cultural engagement. In November 2023, he and representatives of the Ireland Sino Institute met Micheál Martin at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai, when Martin was serving as Tánaiste.

That meeting followed a disrupted journey from northeast China, where McCarthy and his family are based in Liaoning Province. Severe winter weather and blizzards caused cancellations to flights and rail services, requiring multiple changes of route before they reached Shanghai. The journey was later reported in Irish and Chinese media as illustrating the personal commitment involved in sustaining long-term educational and cultural cooperation between Ireland, China and Europe.

During the current visit, McCarthy's time in Shanghai is intended to extend beyond attendance at the January 8 reception. He is also engaging with partners connected to the Ireland Sino Institute's work in education, people-to-people exchange and long-term relationship-building between Ireland, Europe and China, the organisation said.

With the Taoiseach and Pat McCarthy both hailing from Cork, Chinese President Xi Jinping referred to Cork-linked culture during a meeting in Beijing with Micheál Martin. Xi told the Taoiseach that an Irish novel, The Gadfly, sustained him during some of the most traumatic years of his teenage life; Martin responded that he too had read the book as a late teenager and it left a profound impression

The novel has a direct Cork connection. Its author, Ethel Voynich, was born in Cork and was the daughter of mathematician George Boole, who taught at Queen's College Cork, now University College Cork.

Founded in 2012, the Ireland Sino Institute says its charitable education arm has supported the education of nearly 50,000 rural Chinese children, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, through programmes delivered via what it describes as the only Irish-founded school operating in China.

Micheál Martin has previously described philanthropy as central to leadership, highlighting its role in strengthening communities, supporting education and expanding opportunity for disadvantaged groups, according to remarks published by the Department of the Taoiseach.

Sources:

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-taoiseach/press-releases/visit-to-china-by-taoiseach-miche%C3%A1l-martin-4-8-january-2026/

https://www.ceibs.edu/ceibs-stories/24588

https://irelandchinainstitute.eu/irelandchinanews/

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/give-1000-rural-children-an-english-education/

The Ireland Sino Institute,
Number 6 & 7 Binhebei Street,
Changtu Town,
Tieling,
Liaoning Province,
China,
112500

Press Contact: Pat McCarthy
Email: team@irelandchinainstitute.eu
Phone: 008613358993352

The Ireland Sino Institute strengthens ties between Ireland, Europe, and China through initiatives in education, business, tourism, culture, and philanthropy.

Its charitable education arm has helped educate nearly 50,000 rural Chinese children, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, through programmes delivered via what it describes as the only Irish-founded school operating in China

This release was published on openPR.