Gerald Angley.Irish Stew

One year and a week after taking his new post, the Consul General of Ireland in New York, Gerald Angley, hosted the Irish Stew podcasters in his office high above Park Avenue for a behind-the-scenes look at Irish diplomacy in action while sharing his reflections on the first year on the job.

One event stands out for Gerald.

"The scale of St. Patrick's Day blew our minds,” he says. “It's 24/7 for a number of weeks."

Gerald walks listeners through the impressive scale of his six-state consular territory of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

"That's 59 million people. That's the same population as the UK," he notes, adding that the region ranks as the world's third-largest economy in its own right.

The conversation traces Gerald’s path from a University College Dublin commerce degree and a stint at Citibank to a career in the Department of Foreign Affairs, with postings in Brussels, Paris, and London during Brexit. On landing the coveted New York job, he admits to a bold move: "I wrote a letter that said, 'I dare you not to pick me.'"

Talk turns to the perennial Irish Stew topic of diaspora engagement, where the diplomat reflects on evolving Irish American identity, saying, "We have to look at it not as purely Irish-born people, but rather as people who have several identities."

He also points to what distinguishes Ireland's mission from other consulates: "We're one of the only countries that has an immigrant support fund... we need to be bigger than most of the other consulates, and we are."

As the episode wraps, Gerald provides the listeners with his must-read book recommendation and previews of the imminent launch of the Green Pages, the new directory of Irish organizations in his consul region.

And what’s it like to be a Consul General in New York? Gerald quotes a predecessor in his role who said, "It’s Wall Street by day, Broadway by night!”

Gerald Angley was born in Dublin, Ireland. Over the course of his diplomatic career, Gerald has completed foreign postings in London (2017-2021 as Deputy Ambassador and Political Counsellor), Paris (2006-2011 as Economic, EU and Trade Counsellor and later as Deputy Ambassador in 2013/2014), and Brussels (2000-2004 at the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union).

Gerald has further served in a range of positions in Dublin, including most recently as Counselor (International Relations) on secondment to Ireland’s Ministry of Finance (Treasury) from 2022 to 2025. Prior to that, he was Chief of Protocol at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. From 2014 to 2017, Gerald was Director (British-Irish Relations) and served as Director (North America), working closely with the Consulate in New York. Earlier assignments included the Protocol, European Union and Consular Divisions of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In addition to his roles in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,

Gerald has also served in several roles at the Department of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister’s office), including as Director (Policy Communications) for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2013.

Gerald joined Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs in 1999 after an initial period working in banking and insurance, including with Citibank NA in Dublin.

For more information, visit Ireland.ie.