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The Consulate participates actively in these celebrations throughout the month. We also focus on the dynamic contemporary links between Ireland and Western United States. Irish companies provide over 28,000 jobs in California and US West Coast companies are a vital component of Ireland’s innovation ecosystem. There are growing numbers of industry and academic research collaborations. The Consulate has just moved, along with the local Enterprise Ireland and Tourism Ireland offices to Ireland House San Francisco, a modern space that reflects the scale of our important relationship with the Pacific Northwest. I am now in the last year of my term in San Francisco. My family and I are due back in Ireland this summer and we will be leaving the Bay Area with mixed emotions. We are looking forward to returning home and being close again to our family and friends. Like many others, the pandemic and the impacts on transatlantic travel made home feel that bit further away than normal. Against that, we will be sad to leave a place that has given us so many happy memories. Our first son was born here and another is due in March (there is a clamour for him to be named Patrick if he is born on the 17th!). As I prepare for the final months here, I am above all thankful to have had the opportunity to represent our country and serve our citizens here. It is an enormous privilege and honour, made even more special by realising the dreams of my younger self – the redwoods must be seen to be believed!
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Trinity Tales: Henry and Chrissy Au Henry Au (BEng 1988), co-Founder of PandaEX and AKA Blockchain fund, and his daughter Chrissy (BSc 2021) swap tales of the Berkeley, the Pav, the Trinity Ball and entrepreneurship
