[4] McGuinness previously served as Irish ambassador to Turkey from 2019.

[5] In November 2023, McGuinness was summoned to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs following comments by then Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar about the safe return of 9-year old Irish-Israeli girl, Emily Hand, who had been kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel and held hostage.

[6] In May 2024, she was again summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with the ambassadors of Spain and Norway, where she was reprimanded over Ireland's decision to recognise the State of Palestine.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, criticised the reprimand as "totally unacceptable".

[7] In December 2024, McGuinness responded to the closure of the Israeli embassy in Dublin, rejecting the accusation that Ireland is anti-Israel and antisemitic, and describing the depiction of Irish policy in Israel as "cartoonish".