Monaghan County Council’s Cathaoirleach, Cllr Aidan Campbell, and Chief Executive, Robert Burns, have returned from a successful visit to Washington, D.C. and Boston, where they strengthened cultural, civic and economic links between County Monaghan and key organisations, businesses and members of the Monaghan diaspora in the United States.
The visit, which took place from 13 to 17 July 2026, focused on promoting Monaghan’s partnership with Project Children, supporting economic development opportunities and fostering relationships with educational, cultural and civic organisations across both cities.
A key element of the visit was highlighting Monaghan’s long-standing connection with Project Children, the organisation founded by Denis Mulcahy that brought thousands of children from Northern Ireland and the border region to the United States during the Troubles. The delegation promoted the Project Children Stories Exhibition at Monaghan Peace Campus and encouraged attendance at a series of events planned in Monaghan this autumn, including the launch of a new Project Children book.
During their time in Washington, the delegation visited Georgetown University, where discussions were held with Monaghan native Professor Darragh Gannon, Director of Global Irish Studies, on opportunities for future collaboration in areas such as peace and reconciliation, public service and global engagement. The delegation also visited the Embassy of Ireland and met with embassy officials, before engaging with leaders of the Washington Ireland Program (WIP), a leadership development initiative established to support peace and prosperity across the island of Ireland.
The delegation attended a screening of the acclaimed documentary How to Defuse a Bomb: The Project Children Story in Washington, hosted by the Washington Ireland Program. The event was attended by Ireland’s Ambassador to the United States, Geraldine Nason Byrne, Project Children co-founder Denis Mulcahy and more than 100 invited guests.
Further engagements included meetings with representatives from Maryland State, where discussions centred on potential collaboration in economic development, biotechnology, agri-food and advanced manufacturing. As a result of these discussions, plans are now progressing for a delegation from Maryland State’s Department of Commerce to visit Monaghan later this year.
In Boston, the delegation met members of the Monaghan diaspora and the Friends of Monaghan group, continuing relationships established during an earlier visit in March. The delegation also met with representatives from MassBio, one of the largest biotechnology organisations in the United States, representing more than 1,700 member organisations. Discussions explored opportunities for collaboration with Monaghan’s new BioConnect Innovation Centre and ways of strengthening connections between the biotechnology sectors in Massachusetts and Monaghan.
A second screening of How to Defuse a Bomb: The Project Children Story was hosted in Boston by the Boston Irish Network and the Irish Cultural Centre, attracting more than 200 attendees. The delegation concluded its programme with a visit to the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton, Massachusetts, where discussions focused on future cultural and sporting exchange opportunities between Monaghan and the Greater Boston area.
The visit also included a meeting with former United States Ambassador to Ireland, Claire Cronin, to discuss opportunities to promote Monaghan as a location for investment and to support local businesses seeking to expand into US markets.
Speaking following the visit, Cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council, Cllr Aidan Campbell, said:
“This visit provided a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Monaghan’s strong connections with our diaspora, promote the important legacy of Project Children and showcase all that County Monaghan has to offer. We were warmly received everywhere we went and had the opportunity to engage with organisations and individuals who are keen to strengthen their links with Monaghan. The visit has laid the foundations for meaningful future collaboration in cultural, educational and economic development initiatives.”
Chief Executive of Monaghan County Council, Robert Burns, said:
“The visit demonstrated the value of building and maintaining international partnerships that can deliver real benefits for County Monaghan. From discussions with educational institutions and cultural organisations to meetings focused on economic development and innovation, we highlighted Monaghan as a progressive, outward-looking county with significant opportunities for investment and collaboration. We look forward to welcoming many of the contacts made during the visit to Monaghan in the months ahead and continuing to develop these important relationships.”
The visit has further strengthened Monaghan’s international profile and reinforced its commitment to supporting economic development, nurturing cultural partnerships and maintaining strong links with the Monaghan diaspora throughout the world.