THERE WERE CELEBRATIONS at Dublin’s Convention Centre today as 3,039 people officially became Irish citizens.
People from 131 countries around the world and living in all 32 counties on the island of Ireland were granted Irish citizenship in three ceremonies in the Convention Centre.
Bryan MacMahon, who was the presiding officer at the ceremonies, administered the Declaration of Fidelity to the Irish Nation and Loyalty to the State.
The new Irish citizens also undertook to faithfully observe the laws of the State and to respect its democratic values.
The majority of the new citizens come from India (421), with people from the UK (254), Brazil (181), Poland 169) and Nigeria (153) making up the five highest national groupings.
More than 11,000 people have been conferred with Irish citizenship so far this year, with more ceremonies planned before the end of 2023.
Speaking during one of the ceremonies, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said Ireland’s welcoming of the new citizens is an important reciprocation over the millions of Irish who emigrated over previous centuries
“We have people from 131 different countries who will become Irish citizens by the end of the day … you can just see how happy an occasion it is for them, for their family, their friends, and I just want to wish them all well in the next chapter of their life,” she said.
“These (ceremonies) are so important, not just for the people themselves but for us as a country to show that we welcome inward migration, that we value the contribution that they make.
“Just under 20% of the people living in this country were not born in this country, and they themselves bring their culture, their heritage, their traditions, and it’s really important that we take them on board.
“It’s a really important day, and I think sends a strong message that they are welcome and a country where millions of our own people sought refuge and new lives in other shores, it shows that we can reciprocate and that we see the value in them contributing to our country as well.”
A total of 171 citizenship ceremonies have taken place since they were first introduced, with people from over 180 countries receiving their certificates of naturalisation.
Since 2011, around 165,000 people have received Irish citizenship.
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