12 March 2026
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to hold UK-Ireland Summit in Cork
Taoiseach Micheál Martin will today (Thursday) welcome UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Cork for the second annual UK-Ireland Summit.
At last year’s inaugural Summit in Liverpool, both leaders agreed to launch a comprehensive programme of cooperation out to 2030, spanning trade, energy, maritime security, emergency planning, and cultural connections.
This year’s Summit, which will take place today (Thursday, March 12) and tomorrow (Friday, March 13) is an opportunity to mark progress on what has been achieved over the course of the past year in terms of new and strengthened cooperation, and to set out further ambitions for UK – Ireland cooperation for the remainder of this year, and out to 2030.
As well as hosting a summit meeting, the Taoiseach and Prime Minister will take part in a series of engagements reflecting the theme of ‘Shared Prosperity, Shared Seas, Shared Ties’. This will include a research-focused visit, a business roundtable, a civic and cultural reception, and a discussion with young people from across Ireland and the UK.
A focus for the Taoiseach and Prime Minister will be to discuss how the two countries can work more closely together in laying the groundwork for future prosperity through infrastructure, competitiveness, clean energy, skills and innovation.
The summit takes place against a backdrop of global instability, underlining further the importance of engagement and cooperation across the Ireland – UK relationship.
Speaking in Cork ahead of the Summit, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said:
“On behalf of the Government, I am delighted to welcome Prime Minister Starmer and accompanying UK Ministers to Cork. At our inaugural UK-Ireland Summit in Liverpool last year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and I agreed a comprehensive programme of strategic co-operation which is now beginning to deliver for the people of these islands. Today we will mark the progress on what has been achieved over the course of the past year and reaffirm our commitment to deepen and broaden further the co-operation, friendship and partnership between Ireland and the UK this year and out to 2030.
“This Summit takes place against an uncertain global backdrop and will be an opportunity to take stock of international issues, including the concerning situation in the Middle East and Gulf Region, and in Ukraine. Each day we see how international events can impact also on our domestic ambitions and daily lives, as well as on global security.
“Over the course of the Summit, we will discuss how we can strengthen competitiveness and resilience and reduce the cost of living, harness the potential of our shared seas while protecting our marine environment, deliver essential infrastructure at pace and scale, and ensure energy affordability and energy security across Ireland and the UK.”