Come St Patrick’s Day, though, the black stuff is a reliable feature of parties thrown by Irish embassies across the world. An internal Department of Foreign Affairs study has a lot to say about how Ireland exercises “soft power” when trying to make friends and influence people on the international stage. It is rare to hear what the State’s diplomatic corps thinks of itself and its efforts, which makes the internal study interesting reading. The internal department review was completed in December 2023 and released to The Irish Times in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. “The negative perceptions of Ireland’s tax policy among EU colleagues, however, remain a challenge,” the department review said.

Source: The Irish Times January 02, 2026 06:11 UTC