Independence day Welcome
We are delighted to welcome all of our guests to this afternoon’s Independence Day lunch hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland.
We would like to extend our gratitude to our Guest of Honour, Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, who will deliver a keynote address to our members this afternoon.
We would also like to thank our sponsors AIB, who have offered tremendous support for this year’s Independence Day lunch celebrations.
Today, as we celebrate US Independence Day, we are grateful for the new trade relationships that the US was able to develop following the American Revolution, particularly with Ireland.
We are proud to report that this relationship now stands at an all-time high. In 2021, Ireland was the 9th biggest investor in the US, employing over 100,000 people across all 50 states, and there were approximately 900 US companies in Ireland, directly employing more than 190,000 people.
This year we also celebrate start of Ireland’s second centenary of Independence. Over the last 100 years, Ireland transformed from an isolated island of forced immigration to a global inclusive centre of talent. We are now a trusted partner of corporate in the US in shaping strategy, leading global teams and serving global markets and we are seeing record levels of transatlantic investment between Ireland and the US.
As we mark US Independence Day and Ireland’s second century as an Independent nation, we do so acknowledging that the underpinning freedoms and liberties of our two countries are currently under attack in Ukraine.
Ireland advocates for the shared values of the European Union – human dignity, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights. From the experience of both the US and Ireland, we know that these democratic values will ultimately prevail. As we mark this important US holiday we also stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
AmCham would like to thank all of our members for their continued support.
We hope you enjoy your afternoon!
Catherine Duffy, President
Mark Redmond, CEO