Mark Carney opened a two-day Ireland visit with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and announced a bilateral co-operation framework covering trade, investment, life sciences, research, innovation, security and defence.
At Trinity College and a Dublin Castle gala, Carney said Canada, Ireland and Europe face expanding conflicts and a possible "rupture in the global system," casting closer ties as a response to rising external threats.
€12 billion in bilateral goods-and-services trade in 2024, up from €3.2 billion in 2016, underpins the push; the Irish government also said Canadian investment in Ireland has risen 131% since 2016.
Sunday's Mayo leg will add a personal dimension, with Carney visiting his grandparents' home in Aghagower, attending Mass, visiting ancestral graves and meeting Irish President Catherine Connolly in Westport.