President Michael D. Higgins has begun his Official Visit to Peru, aimed at developing relations with one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America as well as celebrating the historical role played by the Irish in the liberation of Peru.
The President visited the Museo Larco, one of Lima's foremost museums and home to an extensive collection of pre-Columban art, dating back 5,000 years.
Ireland's relations with Peru date back to the colonial period when Ambrose O'Higgins famously became the last Viceroy of Peru, and his son, Bernardo O'Higgins, played a prominent role in the campaign for the liberation of Peru from Spanish rule.
Other Irishmen who played a notable role in the fight for Peruvian independence include John Thomond O'Brien from Co. Wicklow, Francis Burdett O'Connor from Co. Cork, Arthur Sandes from Co. Kerry, William Owens Ferguson from Co. Antrim and Thomas Charles Wright from Co. Louth.
