3,000 new Irish citizens attend Citizenship Ceremonies in Convention Centre

Padraig Conlon 03 Oct 2023

Pic shows Saher Rafiq, Saleem Faisil and their children Zuha and Ibrahim originally from Pakistan who received their citizenship at the Convention Centre yesterday. PICTURE CREDIT: MAXWELLS

Irish citizenship has been granted to 3,000 new Irish citizens in three separate ceremonies which took place in the Convention Centre yesterday.

The Ceremonies saw applicants from 131 countries around the world and living in all 32 counties on the island of Ireland being conferred as Irish citizens.

“Attending Citizenship Ceremonies is always a unique privilege as Minister for Justice and I would like to warmly congratulate and welcome our newest citizens on this milestone day in their lives,” Minister Helen McEntee said ahead of the ceremony yesterday.

“Today marks the end of one journey and the beginning of an exciting new one for them.

“The richness of our nation is not measured in our wealth, but in our people, in our differences, our similarities and our shared home here on this island.

“Our new citizens enrich Ireland with their presence and our society reaps the benefits which they bring. By sharing their own unique cultures and traditions with us, our newest citizens become part of our communities and we are all the better for it.”

The Citizenship Ceremonies yesterday follow three ceremonies held in Killarney in July and two ceremonies held in the RDS in Dublin in March.

This means that over 11,000 people have now been conferred with citizenship this year with further ceremonies planned before the end of 2023.

“I encourage each new citizen to embrace their civic duty and to become more engaged in Irish civil society,” Minister McEntee said.

“It is an essential aspect of life in Ireland. Active involvement in our local communities will ensure everyone has a voice and will help strengthen our democracy.

“I give my best wishes to our new citizens and to their families as they embark on the next steps of their lives in Ireland and I look forward to meeting as many of them as possible today.”

The Presiding Officer at the Ceremonies is retired Bryan MacMahon who 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.