Dublin, 20 May 2026: In the annals of Sino-Irish relations, Tony O’Neill deserves special mention. In 1976, as coach and doctor to the University College Dublin football team, he organised a pioneering tour to China. The students thought he was mad but O’Neill – known to all as “The Doc” – worked out his plan, unearthed contacts and found sponsors to help fund the bold venture. It was the first visit by a Western football team since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
Alas, after their first match, played in front of 40,000 fans in Shanghai, the nation was plunged into mourning by the passing of Mao Zedong. The remaining games were cancelled and the players spent their spare time taking in the sights and sounds of the nascent modern China. “The Doc” subsequently penned a tour diary for The Irish Press, describing the details of everyday life there.
The landmark tour is back in the news as I arrive in Dublin for this week’s Ally Law AGM. Some 18 of the ex-players have just returned from a 50th anniversary trip as guests of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Prior to setting off, they were hosted to a reception at the Chinese Embassy in Dublin, with ambassador Zhao Xiyuan praising O’Neill’s writing for its warmth and curiosity. “Such openheartedness was admirable then and, in today’s world, it has become exceptionally rare,” he notes.
“The Doc” went on to become a towering figure in Irish sport – a senior administrator with the football governing bodies of Ireland and Europe and a visionary director of sport for University College – before his premature passing, after a short illness, in 1999. His memory is preserved in the form of various awards, trophies and – naturally, since this is Ireland – a bar. I will raise a toast to him during my social activities with Ally Law colleagues.
On a broader note, these are boom times for Sino-Irish ties. Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s recent state visit to China for “warm and constructive” talks with President Xi Jinping and other senior politicians underscored the importance of not only bilateral relations but Ireland’s role as a bridge to ease trade tensions between China and the EU. It is significant that Ireland will hold the rotating EU presidency in the second half of this year.
Bilateral trade has reached more than US$23 billion per year, with China becoming the fourth-largest trading partner of Ireland. There are about 400 Irish companies in China, employing some 5,000 individuals. Chinese firms in Ireland support a similar number of jobs. But it is the educational and cultural exchanges that resonate. At university level, some 110 joint programmes enroll more than 12,000 students. As well, Chinese graduates enjoy work visas of up to two years, cementing Ireland’s appeal as a study destination.
Ireland’s latest census shows some 26,800 Chinese people here, marking a 38% increase in six years, with the majority aged under 40; the Ireland China Culture and Tourism Association promotes mutual understanding, people-to-people exchange and practical cooperation; Dublin has officially celebrated Lunar New Year for almost two decades. Integration? Six years ago, Hazel Chu – Irish-born daughter to immigrants from Hong Kong and a barrister by profession – was the first ethnic Chinese to become mayor of a European capital when she took up office in Dublin.
Many Irish have travelled in the opposite direction – beginning with 14th century friar James of Ireland in tandem with his good friend, the splendidly named Odoric of Pordenone – giving rise to some notable tales. Sir Robert Hart modernised the Qing Dynasty’s customs administration and postal service; botanist Augustine Henry sent some 15,000 plant seeds and samples back to Kew Gardens in London from his remote government posting in Hubei Province; in 1931, missionary Father Hugh Sands was kidnapped by communist forces and, on Christmas Day, was visited in his cell by the future Chairman Mao. They had a pleasant chat.
Of course, my adopted city has plenty of connections with the land of Wilde, Shaw and Joyce. In a new book, The Irish in Hong Kong, author Mark O’Neill details the nine governors and five chief justices from Ireland who served in colonial days, not to mention the nuns who eradicated tuberculosis and priests who founded schools. In the present, my BC&C colleague Pádraig Seif is president of the Irish Chamber of Commerce of Hong Kong, which provides networking, resources and other support for individuals and businesses. Of course, socialising is also high on the agenda, typified by a recent party with the Mexican Chamber featuring whiskey and tequila tasting. (I know, what could possibly go wrong?)
Thus introduced, MexCham president Yamilette Cano is my latest guest on Law & More, detailing how she became a professional ballerina before studying international relations at university and relocating to Hong Kong. Among her many talents, she is a public speaking coach. “Work on your body language, it’s the most important communication channel we can have,” she counsels.
Which brings me back to the Ally Law AGM. With Yamilette’s advice ringing in my ears, I’ll join several others on stage this Friday to discuss the hot topic of cross-border dispute resolution. I’ll do my best to command attention, although I suspect minds might already be on the evening’s closing dinner (at a distillery, of course). Still, we should not lose sight of the bigger picture: adventurous individuals from around the world gathering to discuss, understand and learn from each other.
Such a gathering, you suspect, would have full approval from the student pioneers of 1976. In fact, it’s just what “The Doc” ordered.
Until next time, everybody!
Colin Cohen
Senior Partner
Boase Cohen & Collins
