David J. Cooney is Ireland's permanent representative (Ambassador) to the United Nations. He replaced Richard Ryan. An ambassador, rarely embassador, is a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of his or her own country. ... The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ... Richard Ryan (born 1946) is an Irish poet and diplomat. ...