LAST UPDATE | 7 Sep 2024

TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS and his British counterpart Keir Starmer have met at Farmleigh House in Dublin ahead of the Ireland V England UEFA Nations’ League match at the Aviva Stadium later today.

It’s the second time both leaders have met since Starmer took over as the UK’s Prime Minister in July and the pair are expected to announce their engagement strategy for the coming months.

The Irish Government said the strategy will be developed by looking at ways that the populations of both islands, Ireland and Great Britain, can benefit from it.

The leaders shook hands at the doorway of Farmleigh House, the official State guest residence, before moving inside where Starmer signed the visitors’ book.

They moved into the walled garden at the property, where they walked together in conversation.

A young boy who received medical treatment in the UK presented the two leaders with Irish and English football scarves to swap before the game.

They also swapped football jerseys.

Starmer held up an Irish shirt with his surname on the back and laughed when asked if he would wear it to the match later.

He said: “It will make an appearance in my nine-a-side. This will be proudly worn in north London before too long.”

Looking at his England shirt with “Harris” on the back, the Taoiseach joked: “I never thought I’d see my name on anything.”

Meanwhile, Sir Keir said “absolutely not” to a shout of “can we have Declan Rice back?”

He said: “No, absolutely not. He is fantastic.”

In a joint article in the Irish Times this morning, the two leaders said they wanted relations between their countries to go from “friction to friendship”.

“When political challenges overshadow human connections, everyone loses. As Taoiseach and prime minister, we will not let that happen again,” they said.

“That’s why it’s important to say that we are more than just trading partners and neighbours. We are friends.”

The pair are also set to discuss the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and in Gaza during the visit.

Earlier this year, Harris and Starmer met at Chequers, the traditional countryside home of the Prime Minister in the UK. The meeting was viewed as a turning point for both nations following a turbulent period of disagreements.

This was mostly due to an announcement on the same day that the UK Government had promised to repeal the Troubles Legacy Act – a contentious piece of legislation that sought to excuse those accused of crimes in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and a source of much disagreement between the Irish and British Governments.

Both leaders agreed to “reset” relations between their countries at the meeting in the UK in July.

A rally against the UK arms exports to Israel was staged in near the Spire in Dublin during the visit. 

With reporting by PA