Ted Smyth: The Irish Diplomat

Ted Smyth has had distinguished careers in government and public affairs in Ireland and the United States. He was an Irish diplomat from 1972 to 1988 serving in Portugal, Switzerland, the US, and the UK. He participated in the Northern Ireland peace process, serving in the Department of the Taoiseach as Deputy Director of Government Information Services, advisor on Northern Ireland, and in the Secretariat of the New Ireland Forum. He was head of Press and Information in the US from 1976-1981 and, later, held the roles of Chief Administrative Officer at the Heinz Company and Executive VP of Corporate Affairs at McGraw Hill Financial. Ted is currently Vice President of the Advisory Board at Glucksman Ireland House at NYU, and Chairman of the Clinton Institute at University College Dublin.

In the seventh episode of “The Last Hurrah”, Liam and Scott talk to Ted Smyth about his career as an Irish diplomat in the United States during the Carter and Reagan administrations, the importance of Irish soft power, and the role of Irish America in the election of Joe Biden.