JOIN USFrom writing the introductory paragraph of his stories to writing his diplomatic speeches, His Excellency Feilim McLaughlin, Ambassador of Ireland to India has come a long way. Articulate in his thoughts and appropriate in replies, he shares experiences of his life and living in the City with Metrolife.
“I was a journalist for five years and started as a sports reporter in New Zealand and then moved to UK. Being a reporter, is an exciting job for a youngster as one gets to meet new people everyday. I have also done features and crime reporting for newspapers.” But he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be a journalist all his life and so he went back to the university to study politics.
“It was an unusual transformation. After completing my degree I had no idea of what to go ahead with. My brother suggested me to apply for the diplomatic exams and I cleared them without aiming for them. In reality, he was the one who wanted to be a diplomat but never applied. So I am living his dream.”
Since he is interested in international relations, politics and socialising, he opted for this profession. “This job encapsulates everything. Journalism taught me to do so much and I feel that the skills are transferable in this profession,” says the ambassador who has travelled quite a bit but got struck by the “multiplicity of religions in India. It is the extraordinary diversity of not just the country but even in a state like Delhi which is unusual.”
He is fascinated by the charm of Old Delhi which is present in contrast with modernity of New Delhi. “It is amazing how a tiny book shop in Khan Market stocks a wide variety of books! I like the street food of Old Delhi and the historical monuments which tell that the City has a much longer history.”
While on work days, establishing bilateral relationships takes most of his time, on weekends he likes to indulge in talks over political analysis, “I am trying to bring Irish butter and cheese in India and of course promote the educational opportunities in Ireland. People tend to confuse us with our larger neighbour, that is, UK but education in Ireland is much cheaper. It is just about raising awareness,” he says informing about the upcoming Education Fair.
Deeply interested in food, it is on his ambition to learn how to cook “Dal Makhani since Dal Tadka is available everywhere but the preparation of Dal Makhani is very unique,” he says with a smile, refusing to think about what he will miss the most when his term ends here. “It is still three years down the line, let us not think about it.” Seems, he has fallen in love with the Indian experience, too!