Speech by President Connolly at Reception for University Students from Gaza
Áras an Uachtaráin, 15 July 2026
A chairde,
I would like to thank Dr Emma Stokes, Vice President of Global Engagement, Trinity College Dublin, co-ordinator of the Higher Education Institutions’ sectoral group, and chair of the network which supports students from Gaza who have come to study at universities throughout Ireland.
Since 2024, Irish Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) have collectively welcomed nearly ninety students and scholars evacuated from Gaza. Indeed, in August/September 2025 over 70 students arrived in Ireland. These evacuations were facilitated through a coordinated, sector-wide effort involving multiple HEIs and the Department of Foreign Affairs, with the latter overseeing the logistical arrangements for evacuation to Ireland.
Today, of course, is the students’ day. It is my particular privilege to welcome each and every one of you to Áras an Uachtaráin, and I am looking forward to engaging with you throughout the afternoon.
I know that you have travelled from all over the country, from the 12 universities in which you are enrolled. I also understand that a number of additional institutions hope to welcome students in the near future, and this is a very positive step.
Of course, I am welcoming you here and wishing you well in your studies, while acutely aware of the catastrophic circumstances that have led you to be here in Ireland. Indeed, words are not sufficient to describe what is continuing to happen in your country.
You have experienced over 1,000 days of war since October 2023. Since then, nearly 75,000 Palestinians have been killed, and that figure only includes those accounted for.
More than 1.9 million people remain internally displaced.
Notwithstanding those shocking statistics – and many more we could refer to – you continue to inspire us and give us hope.
Equally as important, you challenge us, in every way and on every day, to reflect on what is happening with the normalisation of war and genocide.
You tell us, and I agree, “genocide … [is] about the whole world – about humanity, and how we’re erasing humanity.”
We are indebted to you for your spirit, your determination and your perseverance, and also for highlighting that the obligation to take action rests on all of us.
Míle buíochas.