Ireland–South Africa relations as premature. The Irish embassy opened in Pretoria in 1994. From the early 1960s Ireland vehemently opposed apartheid in South Africa. South African Nelson Mandela, then a dissident, later president, was awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin in 1988 while a political prisoner; he collected the award upon his release in 1990. Diplomatic ties between the two countries were established in 1994. In November 2003, Brian Cowen, while touring Africa as Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, promised South African President Thabo Mbeki that Ireland would highlight African problems when it ascended to the Council Presidency of the European
S. B. Joel's XI cricket team in South Africa in 1924–25 with 54 in S. B. Joel's XI's first innings. There was no play on the final day, when South Africa were chasing a target of 211 to square the series. Nupen took 3 for 73 and 5 for 51. The highest scorer on either side was Jack Russell, with 80 in S. B. Joel's XI's first innings. The highest scorer on either side was Bob Catterall, with 86 in South Africa's second innings. For South Africa, Hall took eight wickets, Nupen seven; for S. B. Joel's XI, Geary took eight wickets, Kennedy seven. The series ended 2–2. The series was