In a world increasingly shaped by division, war, trade tensions, and misinformation, the need to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation has never been more urgent. Against this backdrop, "Ireland & China: A Century of Partnership and Exchange"—the first part of a two-part documentary series co-produced by the Europe Sino Institute and CCTV+—explores how people-to-people engagement can build understanding, trust, and lasting cooperation between nations.

The documentary explores more than a century of Ireland–China relations, highlighting how educational exchange, philanthropy, and people-to-people ties have helped build trust between the two nations. At its heart is a simple but powerful idea: understanding between nations begins with understanding between people. In today’s interconnected global economy, where goods, technologies, and ideas move across borders at unprecedented speed, cooperation depends not only on ships, ports, infrastructure and policy, but also on effective communication, mutual respect, and the ability of people from different cultures to understand one another.

For Ireland and China, one of the most meaningful paths toward building understanding has been through educational partnership and exchange.

This enduring partnership is rooted in more than a century of people-to-people connection. In the early twentieth century, Irish pioneers such as Dr Isabel Mitchell and Frederick O’Neill travelled to northeast China, where their work in education, philanthropy, and healthcare left a lasting mark on local communities.

Frederick O’Neill lived in Liaoning for 45 years, from 1897 to 1942. During that time, he founded schools that became early pioneers of modern education in the region. In the classroom, he saw education not only as the transfer of knowledge, but as a bridge of friendship, respect, and mutual learning.

Dr Isabel Mitchell arrived in Liaoning in 1905 and established a women’s hospital in 1909. At a time when disease was widespread and medical resources were limited, she dedicated her life to caring for women and girls. Her commitment came at great personal cost. In 1917, at the age of 38, she died after contracting the very diseases she had worked to treat. She is buried in Jilin City, where her sister also served.

While some may view these early figures through the lens of outside influence, O’Neill and Mitchell showed deep respect for the people and traditions around them. They became proficient in Chinese, valued local culture, and understood that true service required humility. O’Neill himself urged others to set aside labels and assumptions in order to genuinely understand, appreciate, and respect the people of China.

They did not come simply to change others. They came to serve, to learn, and to grow alongside the communities that welcomed them. In doing so, they helped build bonds that time could not erase.

Pat McCarthy’s own connection with China began in childhood. Growing up in Ireland, he remembered a charity truck arriving in his area each week to collect clothes for children in rural China. When his mother called out that the truck had arrived, he did not choose only what was old or unwanted. Instead, even as a young boy from a modest Irish family, he packed some of his best clothes, wanting to give something that truly mattered.

Another formative moment came when a fire destroyed a local Chinese restaurant, leaving the family who ran it without their livelihood. Living nearby, Pat’s family helped clear the damage, restore the restaurant, and support the family during a time of real hardship. These early experiences shaped his belief that compassion, solidarity, and practical support can build meaningful bridges between people of different backgrounds.

Inspired by those childhood experiences and by the stories of Irish pioneers in Liaoning, Pat McCarthy’s journey eventually led him to China. In 2012, building on these enduring ties, the Ireland Sino Institute established its headquarters in the Tieling area.

Through its non-profit School of Philanthropy and Education, the Institute has worked to provide high-quality education to local communities while respecting local values, traditions, and ways of life. Since its founding, the school has helped educate more than 100,000 rural Chinese students, advancing a mission grounded in service, mutual understanding, and shared human development.

Through its China International Leadership Programme, the Institute also welcomes international interns who carry forward the spirit of exchange first embodied by the early Irish pioneers. In doing so, it is creating new pathways for learning, cooperation, and enduring Ireland–China engagement.