Madam, - Many tributes have been paid to the late Dr John de Courcy Ireland, whose memorial service will be held shortly. One important side of his many-faceted career that has not been emphasised is his deep involvement with China.
His father died in China in 1914 and was buried in Beijing, and his mother was unable to return to Ireland until 1917, because of the first World War. She went back to Beijing in 1919 to remarry, and was in constant touch with John. So he was intimately aware of China and its culture from an early age. He campaigned throughout Ireland in support of China after the main Japanese invasion in 1936, and his interest and support remained just as strong for the rest of his life.
As well as his political advocacy, he was one of the founders of the Irish-Chinese Cultural Society in 1975.
His activities did not pass without notice in China. His standing is shown by the fact that in the late 1970s he received a personal letter from the Mayor of Beijing, expressing regret that his father's remains had to be re-interred because of building development. He greatly appreciated the courtesy of this letter. And in 2002, along with Mr Justice Dermot Kinlen, he was awarded the title of "Ambassador of Friendship", in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the promotion of friendship between Ireland and China. This is a rare distinction: there have been only 51 such awards worldwide, the late Edward Heath, former British prime minister, being one of three UK recipients.
John had many close friends and admirers in China. They, like all the members of our society, share in the widespread sadness at his passing. - Yours, etc,
JOHN RYAN, Honorary Secretary, Irish-Chinese Cultural Society, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.