Belgian Ambassador to visit Offaly this October as part of Ireland's EU Presidency

By Rebekah O'Reilly

The Belgian Ambassador is set to visit Offaly this October as part of the Ireland's EU Presidency.

His Excellency Nicolas Nihon, the Belgian Ambassador to Ireland, will visit both Tullamore and Birr on Monday, October 5.

Offaly is paired with Belgium as part of a national initiative aimed at engaging communities across Ireland during the country’s Presidency of the European Union.

During the EU Presidency term, between July and December 2026, Ambassadors of EU Member States in Ireland, accompanied by the Irish Ambassador in the relevant EU Member State capital, will visit counties across Ireland to undertake a programme of public engagements focused on Ireland’s European relations and its role in the European Union.

As part of the visit, His Excellency Nicolas Nihon will be welcomed to the county through a visit to the Offaly County Council chamber.

He will then pay a visit to Tullamore Library where he will meet with Transition Year students from a number of local schools, before stopping for lunch in the Old Warehouse and then making his way to the Tullamore D.E.W distillery.

In the evening, the Belgian ambassador will travel to Birr, where he will go on a tour of Birr Castle Demesne.

The official logo for Ireland's EU Presidency features a spiral structure inspired by the Whirlpool Galaxy and historic astronomical sketches of the nebula made at Birr Castle in the 1840s.

Cllr Neil Feighery said it is a “huge opportunity" for Offaly.

"To be twinned with Belgium, the heart of the EU, is one positive, and for the EU Presidency logo to be based on the nebula drawn in Offaly... we need to make the best use of the opportunity."