- People from 135 countries receive Irish Citizenship today and tomorrow
- 982 people from UK receiving Irish Citizenship
Today and tomorrow, Ireland will welcome 5,000 people as new Irish citizens.
In six separate ceremonies being held over two days at the INEC in Killarney, successful applicants from 135 countries will receive their certificates of naturalisation, and take the oath of fidelity to the Irish State.
These special ceremonies are being held following the decision of the Court of Appeal in November, which clarified the law in relation to residency requirements for citizenship candidates. An earlier High Court decision had led to the postponement of Citizenship Ceremonies for most of the second half of 2019.
The Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan TD, welcomed Ireland’s newest citizens, and impressed upon them the importance of this day, which will be a milestone in their lives. He said,
The possibilities opened up to you in Ireland today are almost limitless; perhaps one day, you or a child or grandchild of yours, could be up here as a Government Minister, or as a Judge, or perhaps the President of Ireland.
The Presiding Officer for Monday’s ceremonies was retired High Court Judge, Bryan McMahon, who administered the Declaration of Fidelity to the Irish Nation and Loyalty to the State.
Retired Circuit Court Judge Paddy McMahon will preside at the ceremonies tomorrow and the Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality, Mr David Stanton, TD, will address the new citizens.
The new citizens undertake to faithfully observe the law of the State and respect its democratic values.
Addressing the new citizens at the ceremonies tomorrow afternoon, Minister of State with responsibility for Equality, Immigration and Integration, David Stanton TD, will note that -
Today as you leave here, as proud new citizens of this Republic and constitutional democracy, our history is your history and, in turn, the narrative of your life is now part of our history.
This is the third year when large scale citizenship ceremonies have been held outside of Dublin.
Details of future ceremonies and the process for applying for citizenship can be found on www.inis.gov.ie
Today’s ceremonies can be watched live here https://youtu.be/yGx62npdJ0Y