An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-03
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Mark Daly (CC), Administrative Panel

Ba mhaith liom cuir fáilte to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery the ambassador from Bulgaria. The ambassador is here to mark the Bulgarian national day on 3 March. It marks the date of national liberation and restoration of the Bulgarian state after nearly five centuries of Ottoman rule. The Irish connection dates back more than 100 years. A County Limerick man, from Bruff, no less, James Bourchier was a champion of national interests in Bulgaria. He led the delegation from Bulgaria that was involved in the negotiations on the Versailles Treaty. Such was his national fame and in honour of his efforts, a boulevard and a metro station in Sofia were named after him. His resting place is in a monastery, a privilege granted to very few foreigners.
Bulgaria and Ireland are both members of the European Union. We work together to strengthen our relationships there. There are nearly 8,000 members of the Bulgarian community in Ireland. They live in Cork, Dublin, Ennis, Shannon, Tullamore, Monaghan and Waterford and are involved in academia, IT, engineering and the medical industry. We welcome the ambassador on Bulgaria's national day. Happy Liberation Day. Fáilte go dtí Seanad Éireann.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-03/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:42+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-03