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Interview
The Eagle Interviews Diplomat Declan Kelleher By Lucy Mockler, JS Law Declan Kelleher was Permanent Representative of Ireland to the European Union in Brussels from September 2013 to March 2020. Prior to that appointment, he was Ambassador of Ireland to the People’s Republic of China from 2004 to 2013. From 2000 to 2004, he was Ambassador and Representative of Ireland to the EU Political and Security Committee in Brussels, and chaired that Committee during Ireland’s 2004 Presidency of the European Union. His previous overseas postings were at the Embassy of Ireland in Washington DC (from 1987-1991) where he was First Secretary for Press and Political/Congressional Affairs. From 1980-1983, he was posted at the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN in New York and was a member of Ireland’s delegation to the UN Security Council in 1981-1982. During his career, he has also served in a number of important and senior posts at the Headquarters of Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin, including on Anglo/Irish and Northern Ireland matters, and on foreign policy and EU questions. Why did you choose to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford? Did you find it to be a useful and interesting degree?
I was actually admitted to Oxford to study law. The economics tutor at my college was looking through the entrance exam papers and asked whether I would be interested in studying philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) instead. I felt that law was important but that PPE would be a good stepping stone if I wanted to pursue law as a career afterwards. What I liked about PPE was that it was mathematical and I was mathematically inclined, but also it was quite rigorous. There was a fair amount of legal as well as regular philosophy in it. The principle of the college I attended was actually quite a famous legal philosopher – a man named HLA Hart. I enjoyed PPE but every so often since then I look back and think perhaps I should have studied law, because having a professional qualification is always a useful string to the bow.
What prompted you to enter the civil service having initially worked as an economic analyst in the private sector?
I started working as an economist specialising in the global oil and shipping market. I applied to join the civil service but these were the days shortly after Ireland joined the European Community. There had been massive recruitment one or two years after we joined and then it slowed down, so there was a long period after I applied where nothing much seemed to happen. I was then called for interviews and an exam and eventually joined in 1977.
I joined the Department of Foreign Affairs because at first sight it looked interesting, and it has been very interesting. Had I been more aware of the possibility of joining the Department of Finance I would probably have opted for finance over foreign affairs. However I am very glad I went into foreign affairs and the knowledge of economics and finance has been very useful to me in my career, particularly while working in Brussels.
