Welcome Irish Minister for High Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor – Irish Network Colorado

At a reception hosted by Honorary Consul, Jim Lyons, Esq., more than 75 people from the community gathered to meet Minister O’Connor.  Ms. O’Connor who had meetings throughout the day with various offices, including the Governor and the Mayor, also held meetings with members of the Irish and Irish-American community, as well as with people from the educational sector.  She met with Alan Groarke and Lisa Switzer, Vice President and President of INCO to learn more about the Leadville Project.

She later addressed the larger body and spoke about what she had discovered in her earlier meetings.  She expressed the wishes of the Irish government to continue to promote business and cultural relations between Ireland and the US.  She also spoke of the need to have a Denver to Dublin direct flight in an effort to strengthen that relationship. Jim Lyons has agreed to partner with her on that initiative and is asking area business owners to write letters in support of the petition.  Letters can be sent directly to Jim at:

Lewis, Roca, Rothgerber, Christie, LLP,
1200 17th St., Ste. 3000,
Denver, CO  80202

and should include the following points:

  • Company or individual name, size (revenues or number of employees, if available)  and a fulsome description of business, both in the US and in Ireland as applicable;
  • The frequency of travel to Ireland, business and personal and estimated/intended use of the flight;
  • The convenience and cost savings of such a flight vs. a connection through the US or Europe;
  • What such a direct flight would mean to current and future business;

A statement of support for the flight.