Ireland's relationship with Chile
Historical links
Back in the early 1500s, the first Irish arrived as part of a contingent of Irish soldiers known as the Wild Geese, who left Ireland to serve primarily in Catholic countries.
In 1763, Irish born nobleman Ambrosio O’Higgins arrived in Chile and from 1788-1796 served as the royal Governor of Chile for Spain, before later being promoted to Viceroy of Peru. Ambrosio’s son, Bernardo O’Higgins, would later become a Chilean independence leader and the Supreme Director of Independent Chile (1817-1823).
A bust of Bernardo O’Higgins was presented to the City of Dublin by the Chilean government in 1996 and this bust can be found in Merrion Square, Dublin. There is also a commemorative park and plaque to Ambrosio and Bernardo O’ Higgins in Ballinary Co. Sligo.
Illustrating the connections between the two countries, other notable figures of Irish descent include General Juan Mackenna, physician William Cunningham Blest, sailor Jorge O'Brien, Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna, and the brothers and writers Alberto Blest Gana, Guillermo Blest Gana and Clotario Blest.
Strong bilateral ties
Strong bilateral ties continue today. Some notable milestones include the establishment of diplomatic relations in the 1990s, the opening of the Embassy of Chile in Ireland in 2000 and the opening of Ireland’s first resident embassy in Santiago in 2019.
Other notable dates include the signing of a double taxation agreement (2005), the signing of a Working Holiday Visa Agreement (2016) and the launching of the Ireland-Chile Chamber of Commerce (2022).
Ireland and Chile enjoy a Permanent Dialogue Mechanism, which provides a means to discuss global and regional topics, including political, commercial, and cultural matters. An agreement between the Irish Universities Association (IUA) and the Chilean National Agency for Research and Development (ANID) also allows Chilean postgraduate students to pursue their Masters and PhD studies at IUA member universities through Chile Scholarships.
Warm bonds of friendship
There have been a number of visits and events between Ireland and Chile in the past 20 years demonstrating the strong bonds of friendship between the two countries.
One notable instance was in 2010 when the Irish patrol ship “LE Niamh” visited Valparaiso harbour as part of the celebrations of Chile’s Bicentenary.
The ship carried medical supplies and materials donated by Cork University Hospital as part of their response to the largest ever-recorded earthquake, which took place in February 2010, meeting disaster with solidarity.
In the same year, An Post together with “Correos de Chile” launched two commemorative stamps with the images of O’Higgins and General Juan MacKenna.
Cultural connections
Cultural ties between the two countries have always been strong. The Embassy continues to promote Irish culture today through Culture Ireland's grant funding, liaising with local stakeholders, media and the invaluable existing networks within the Irish community in Chile.
One example of this fusion of cultures is David Nash, winner of the Seamus Heaney First Collection Poetry Prize. Nash was born in Co. Cork and divides his time between Ireland and Chile. His first pamphlet 'The Islands of Chile' was published in 2022 and translated and published in Chile in 2024.
Trading links
Trade links are flourishing between Chile and Ireland. Chile is Ireland's fifth largest trading partner in Latin America.
Exports reached US$103.26 million in 2023, primarily pharmaceutical products, machinery and medical equipment. Chile's exports to Ireland reached US$55.13 million in 2023, with beverages, fruit and plastic goods as the main products.
Irish investment in Chile has also grown in recent years, reaching US$6.436 billion in 2023.
Growing trade and investment flows have created huge opportunities for both countries, and Ireland’s trade promotion agencies, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, work closely with the Embassy in Santiago to foster Irish business growth in a country rich with potential.