Irish Consulate Gets New Vice Consul

Deirdre Ní Fhallúin joins Consul General David Barry as the new vice consul for the Irish Consulate in Boston. (photo: IrishEmigrant.com/boston)

The following article is from IrishEmigrant.com/boston.

The Irish Consulate in Boston has a new face.

Ireland’s Deirdre Ní Fhallúin recently joined Consul General David Barry in her new role as vice consul at the Irish Consulate in Boston.

She hails from Leixlip, County Kildare.

Ní Fhallúin, 31, most recently served as the third secretary, permanent representation from Ireland to the European Union in Brussels. Before that, she worked as the third secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin.

In Boston, Ní Fhallúin has been on board for the past three weeks, succeeding Marianne Bulger in the same role.

“(Marianne) was very helpful in helping me settle in,” said Ní Fhallúin.

On Sept. 18, a reception will be held in her honor at the Irish Consulate in Boston. Ní Fhallúin is married to Australian Paul Brandon. The two are parents to 10-month-old Niamh.

While the posting is new, the city of Boston is not spanking new to the new vice consul.

Back in 1997, she visited Boston as a J-1 student, something she said that gave her a familiarity with the city. Her assignment brought back good memories.

“I am thrilled and very happy to be in Boston,” said Ní Fhallúin. “It’s great to be in the U.S. In many ways, it’s easier than Brussels since there’s no language barrier. So many people have stopped us and admired us with the baby.

“Having been in a posting previously is an advantage since you learn so much about how to make contact and meet people and restart your life in a new city.”

But her professional experience in Brussels prepared her well for her new job in Boston.

“This job will have more of a social dimension to it,” said Ní Fhallúin. “It will include getting out and meeting people. (Consul General David Barry) has been fantastic. He’s given me a great welcome. I really look forward to working with him.”

While posted in Boston, Ní Fhallúin plans to venture out and learn as much as possible about New England. The consulate’s area includes Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

In addition, since Ní Fhallúin is a devotee of traditional Irish music, she plans to explore the music scene in Boston.

“I played in an all-girl traditional Irish music group called ‘Cuisle,’” said Ní Fhallúin. “I understand there’s a lot of trad music in and around Boston.”

Passports and visas

Many of Ní Fhallúin’s formal responsibilities will include providing help with passports and visas, as well as working with the Irish cultural demands connected to the many universities in the Boston area.

In addition, her work will include making sure the Boston Irish Film Festival will run smoothly. The festival is slated for November.

Ní Fhallúin will be part of the planning process for a number of visits by Irish ministers.

She has also been working on updating the consulate’s Web site, which has been up and running for the past few months. The site includes information about passports and visas, and the site address is: www.irishconsulateboston.org.

“People can contact us through the site,” said Ní Fhallúin. “We welcome people’s comments and suggestions. I’d like to develop the links to local organizations and update it with news related to the Consulate.”

But Ní Fhallúin said the biggest challenge facing her and her family will be to stay connected to people back in Ireland. Back home for Ní Fhallúin is Kildare, next to Dublin.

“But we’ll have some visitors soon,” she said. “We like that aspect of it.”

In 1999, Ní Fhallúin earned a B.Sc. in finance, computing and enterprise (through the medium of Irish), from Dublin City University and also earned her [second] degree in 2001, in international relations, also from Dublin City University.