People from more than 90 countries were made Irish citizens on Monday
2,400 foreigners were officially made Irish citizens at a ceremony in Co Kerry on Monday.
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Held at the Convention Center in Killarney, Co Kerry, the ceremony was presided over by Retired High Court Judge Bryan McMahon and Retired District Court Judge Paddy McMahon.
Ireland’s Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan and Justice Tara Burns offered remarks at the ceremony.
Minister @CharlieFlanagan speaking at today's Citizenship Ceremony which welcomed 2,400 new Irish citizens 'Ireland is a place of culture where traditions, diversity and openness are cherished' See full press release https://t.co/H9J45u7Ml4 pic.twitter.com/Sk2fFOdgNN
— Department of Justice & Equality (@DeptJusticeIRL) April 29, 2019
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At the ceremony, Minister Flanagan said: “Today, you will take an oath of fidelity to our nation and loyalty to our State. You will do so in the knowledge that this relatively young State – still less than a century since our independence was gained – is a place of culture where traditions are cherished and history is ever-present. And be sure, too, that this State is a place of diversity and openness.”
“The people of Ireland are committed to respecting all traditions on this island equally. Our Migrant Integration Strategy is about building a society where we all live in harmony while at the same time respecting our cultural or religious differences. We recognize that developing a greater understanding of our shared history, in all its diversity, is essential to developing greater understanding and building a shared future… at the heart of the European family of nations.”
Ireland's Department of Justice provided a breakdown of the top ten countries represented at Monday's ceremonies:
- Poland – 406
- United Kingdom – 309
- Romania – 218
- India – 186
- Nigeria – 99
- Latvia – 98
- The Philippines – 86
- Brazil – 72
- United States – 68
- China (Including Hong Kong) – 61
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The Irish Department of Justice said in a statement: "Citizenship ceremonies were first introduced in 2011 in order to mark the occasion of the granting of citizenship in a dignified and solemn manner."
"Today’s ceremonies bring the total number of ceremonies held since then to 141 where people from over 180 countries will have received their certificates of naturalization. Including minors, over 122,000 people will have received Irish citizenship since 2011 following the ceremonies."
Last week, the United Nations Refugee Agency in Ireland shared a video about foreign-born people who have now found a home in Ireland:
They're from Iran, Hungary, Burundi, DRC.
— UNHCR Ireland (@UNHCRIreland) April 26, 2019
But Ireland is home. pic.twitter.com/MemV4PvmlA
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