Ireland-Luxembourg Ties Strengthened with Ministerial Visit to Echternach

In the week before St Patrick's Day, the national day of the Republic of Ireland, ties between it and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg have been cemented by not only a visit of Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden and Finance Minister to Dublin to mee the Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin, and the Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris, on Monday, but also the visit of Ireland's Minister of State at the Department of Health, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, to Luxembourg later in the week.

On Wednesday 11 March 2026, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, TD (Member of Parliament) for Carlow-Kilkenny, visited Echternach in the east of the Grand Duchy to learn about St Willibrord, Luxembourg's Patron Saint who studied and was ordained in what is now Co. Carlow in Ireland. 

Carole Hartmann, Mayor of Echternach, and fellow members of the town council, greeted Minister Jennifer Murnane O’Connor and Ireland's Ambassador to Luxembourg, Jean McDonald, when they arrive in Echternach. 

Despite the light rain, and with the ringing of church bells in the air, the group met outside the town hall on the side of the weekly market as a tour guide recalled the story of St Willibrord to Minister Murnane O’Connor, explaining that Abbess Irmina of Oeren (in Trier) gifted her Roman villa and properties in Echternach to St. Willibrord in AD 698 to establish an abbey. Supported by Pepin II, allowed Willibrord to found a Benedictine monastery and construct the first church there. 

She also recounted that the current St Willibrord Basilica was rebuilt after World War II on the site of previous 11th century Romanesque church structures which, in the meantime, had been used as an earthenware factory.

The Basilica

Moving across to the nearby Basilica, the Minister received an explanation of the various stained glass windows, many of which depicted scenes involving St Willibrord.

St Willibrord had also founded a scriptorium, a medieval writing room where monks copied both secular and sacred manuscripts. The Echternach Gospels are understood to have been produced at Lindisfarne Abbey in Northumbria around the year 690. They are written in gold ink and were moved to Paris in 1794.

The Crypt

The tour moved to the Crypt in the Basilica where St Willibrord's original coffin lies, with an ornate tomb constructed around it - his remains were transferred to the Basilica in 1906 from the local parish church. 

The minister signed the visitor's book and then received a blessing from the holy water in the well in the crypt.

Visitors Information Centre

The entourage then visited the Visitors Information Centre and viewed a short video (on loop) about the Dancing/Hopping Procession held on Pentecost Tuesday which attracts around 10,000 people annually.

The pilgrimage started in the 8th century; the first mention of the procession (accompanied by music) can be traced back to the 15th century.

Minister Murnane O’Connor, Mayor Hartman and Ambassador McDonald, amongst others, were then encouraged to try the dance.

Hotel de Ville

Mayor Hartmann then led the group back to the Hotel de Ville for the formal part of the visit.

Mayor Hartmann spoke in English and welcomed the minister to Echternach and recalled the 2025 visit of Ireland’s Taoiseach, Micheál Martin. She also mentioned with the imminent St Patrick’s Day celebrations, as well as the annual Dancing/Hopping Procession, for which there as a delegation from Carlow, Ireland, most recently in 2025. She talked about a shared heritage linked by St Wilibrord, and the friendship agreement signed in 2019. She wished the minister well for the rest of her visit in Luxembourg.

She presented both Minister Murnane O’Connor and Ambassador McDonald with gifts from Echternach.

Minister Murnane O’Connor said she was delighted and honoured to be in Echternach, and referenced the 2019 friendship agreement as well as Carlow being paired with Luxembourg as an initiative of Ireland hosting the EU Presidency from 1 July (see https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-foreign-affairs/press-releases/eu-presidency-county-pairings-announced-by-ministers-mcentee-and-byrne/). She also mentioned Dermot Mulligan, Curator of the Carlow County Museum, who has been instrumental in developing closer ties between Carlow and Echternach. She also talked about more such initiatives she hopes will happen during Ireland’s presidency.

Raoul Scholtes, Vice President of L'Oeuvre Saint-Willibrord (Willibrordus-Bauverein) Asbl, stressed that Carlow is part of Echternach’s heritage, not just the other way round. He talked about Europe’s connection beginning with people building human and cultural bridges. He stated "It is about keeping alive such connections and traditions" before making a presentation of a book, flag and other mementoes of her visit.

Minister Murnane O’Connor presented a book of Irish Legends, plus one on Carlow’s centenary, to Mayor Hartmann.

Community reception

The previous evening, around 50 people representing the Irish diaspora in the Grand Duchy, including some with Carlow heritage, were invited to the Irish Ambassador's residence for a community reception and to meet Minister Murnane O’Connor. 

Ireland's Ambassador to Luxembourg, Jean McDonald, welcomed the minister and representatives of the Irish diaspora in Luxembourg, mentioning the special link between Ireland and Luxembourg through Co Carlow.

Minister Murnane O’Connor referenced Ireland hosting the EU Presidency for six months from 1 July 2026. She mentioned being delighted to be in Luxembourg for the international celebration of St Patrick, and she also referenced the connection through St Willibrord, Luxembourg’s patron saint who trained and was ordained in what is now Co Carlow. She acknowledged the active Irish community in Luxembourg and mentioned Gaelic games, the Luxembourg selection for the Rose of Tralee, the Darkness into Light suicide prevention and self-harm awareness-raising initiative, and other active organisations and initiatives undertaken by Ireland's expatriate community in the Grand Duchy. She also referenced the ongoing war in Ukraine and the current situation in the Middle East, talking up Ireland’s membership of the EU and UN, where members are working together to achieve more. She concluded by wishing everyone a Happy St Patrick’s Day.

Representatives of She Plays Lux - a recently-launched initiative to encourage girls to participate in sport - including Annika Sebit Cooke (Volleyball Strassen), Willow Dunne (GAA Luxembourg) and Lizzie Murphy, presented the Minister with a jersey.

On Wednesday evening, following the Echternach visit, Minister Murnane O’Connor and Ambassador McDonald attended the Women's Basketball qualifying match for Eurobasket 2027, held at d'Coque in Luxembourg-Kirchberg, in which the home team defeated the visitors 85-73.

Return visit

Minister Murnane O’Connor hopes to return to Luxembourg later in 2026, and to host Luxembourg representatives in the second half of the year during the pairing initiative during Ireland's EU Presidency.