Johnston\u2019s use of the word \u201chere\u201d to describe Ireland, even though he was 500km away in Pembroke College in Oxford, illustrates the depth of connection he and his wife Nicola have made with Ireland.<\/p>\n
Unusually, the two are staying on in Ireland once his ambassadorship ends. He is becoming the director general of the Irish Universities Association<\/a> \u2013 the representative body for Ireland\u2019s seven universities \u2013 taking over from Jim Miley.<\/p>\n Borrowing the words of Ernest Hemingway, the decision not to leave came \u201cgradually and then suddenly\u201d, starting two years ago as he began to think, as ambassadors have to, about the next posting.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was really driven by the thought that we had found somewhere where \u2013 to paraphrase Harry in When Harry Met Sally \u2013 where we wanted to spend the rest of our lives,\u201d he tells The Irish Times.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d have really been heartbroken at saying goodbye to Ireland,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n It is a relationship he has invested in; he stayed overnight in 23 of the counties during his term \u201cwith hopes of finishing off the list\u201d soon.<\/p>\n Five years in Dublin, Johnston began his Irish tour during the height of the Covid pandemic, getting to know his new country and its people from endless Zoom meetings rather than the usual round of face-to-face encounters.<\/p>\n During his time, he developed a subtle understanding of Ireland, illustrated by the laughter provoked in a speech in July to the British-Irish Chamber of Commerce in the Mansion House in Dublin when he displayed his understanding of the phrase \u201cto give out\u201d.<\/p>\n It is one found nowhere else in the English language, though it formed a not insignificant part of the early chapters of his post when relations between Dublin and London were at their lowest during the British crisis.<\/p>\n \u201cI heard the phrase, and I thought this obviously means something a bit different from what it sounds like. It\u2019s not about donation,\u201d he says, with a laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cI suffered a lot of \u2018giving out\u2019 in the first two-and-a-bit years on the job, or probably four years.\u201d<\/p>\n Often, the \u201cgiving out\u201d was done by Miche\u00e1l Martin, Leo Varadkar, Simon Coveney or Paschal Donohoe, he remembers, about London\u2019s conduct during the Brexit negotiations, even if they always avoided attacking the man.<\/p>\n [\u00a0Outgoing British ambassador Paul Johnston appointed to lead Irish Universities AssociationOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n So how bad were the bad days? <\/p>\n \u201cIt was bad. I remember the then Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin said that the relationship was at an all-time low. I thought: \u2018This is a pretty bad place to be in\u2019,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cBut, you know, as a professional, you try and do your job and try and explain and defend as well as possible. But it wasn\u2019t easy. But in a funny sort of way, it was a really good challenge because I was trying to explain and defend something that was universally unpopular here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the many things I\u2019ve loved about Ireland and the people I\u2019ve dealt with is that even when the relationship between the two governments was really difficult, there was always a distinction made between the messenger and the message.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to visiting everywhere he could, Johnston maintained a visible presence on social media, though he took a break from social media network X in 2023 after taking considerable abuse following comments on Ireland\u2019s debate about future security.<\/p>\n However, the social media experience brought good days, too, especially one Christmas when he posted \u201ca nice picture from the residence in Glencairn\u201d on December 26th, wishing his readers a \u201cHappy Saint Stephen\u2019s Day\u201d, rather than Boxing Day.<\/p>\n \u201cI got thousands, literally thousands of retweets with people saying: \u2018You really understand Ireland. You have gone native\u2019,\u201d says Johnston, who usually quietly but firmly points out that he is Scottish, not English.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the Scottishness has helped. I remember that a lot of my Irish friends were saddened when Keir Starmer came here for the Irish-English football international, and some of the Irish fans booed: \u2018God Save the Queen\u2019,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n![\"Paul](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/WKDRNQE7SJCZFNPCW3Z6PUYZ7M.jpg\")
Paul Johnston seen at the British-Irish Association meeting at the weekend in Pembroke College, Oxford <\/p>\n![\"Paul](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IVQFTAJZW5D35HCZNQIZKF5JEM.jpg\")
Paul Johnston: ‘I think there\u2019s a lot of underlying affection for Britain.’
\nPhotograph: Dara Mac D\u00f3naill\/ The Irish Times <\/p>\n