In the Land of the Morning Calm
The Chinese Ambassador to Ireland Ms Fan Huijuan (third from left) pictured at CuItúrlann na hEireann with Lord Mayor Brendan Lynch and the Lady Mayoress; Mr. Paddy Teahon, Rúnaí Roinn an Taoisigh and his wife Mary; Dr. Katherine Chan Mullen MD; Padraig and Mai 0 Ceallaigh; and Labhrás 0 Murchú
Labhrás 0 Murchú, Ardstiúrthóir Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann undertook a week-long visit to South Korea at the invitation of the prestigious Korean Foundation. During his visit Labhras had meetings with several cultural and tourism representatives including the Executive Vice-President for Tourism Marketing of the Korean National Tourism corp.; the General Director of Cultural Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Culture & Sport; the Director General of the National Theatre of Korea; the Director of the Traditional Performing Art Centre; and the Chairman of the Seoul Performing Art Company.
Labhrás was guest-of-honour at a dinner hosted in his honour at the Irish Embassy by the Irish Ambassador to Korea, Mr Brendan Moran.
The Comhaltas Director General is one of the few and perhaps the only Irish person to have received official invitations to visit both South Korea and North Korea. He visited North Korea in recent years and also arranged for the exchange of cultural groups. One of the Korean groups performed at the Fleadh Cheoil in Clonmel and was given a civic reception by Clonmel Corporation and was featured on RTE television. An RTE crew also travelled to North Korea with Comhaltas.
The South Korean Foundation Invitation Programme states: ‘The Foundation invites distinguished personnel from abroad who excel in their profession to visit Korea, providing them with opportunities to familiarise themselves with Korean culture, history and society and to discuss and share with colleagues their knowledge and expertise’. 17 people were invited this year world-wide including legislative assistants of the US Congress; Directors of National Museums; University Professors; and a member of the British Parliament.
It is the policy of Comhaltas to encourage and promote co-operation and reconciliation through culture between diverse interests. It is at present engaged in discussions with Chinese representatives with a view to having a cultural exchange in 1997. (A Chinese group will visit Ireland on the 20-27 May).
