Thousands swear allegiance as new Irish citizens in Dublin ceremonies
Four thousand new Irish citizens from 110 countries took their oath of allegiance to the State in four separate ceremonies at Dublin’s Convention Centre on 14 June.
Minister for Justice Alan Shatter, who spoke on the day, pointed out their rights and responsibilities as new Irish citizens, emphasising the contribution they make to Ireland.
“The Irish state could profit from you as you profit from it,” he said.
He also thanked the applicants for their patience, and apologised for the long time many of them had to wait before their Irish citizenship was granted. He said there have been 28,000 applications since the current Government came to power last year.
In his own remarks, Justice MacMenamin – who administered the taking of the new citizens’ oath – noted the positive aspects of cultural diversity the new citizens would bring.
“No group should be an island,” he said in reference to the English writer John Donne – a remark received by a standing ovation from the crowd in attendance.
Following each ceremony, the new citizens – many wearing an Irish flag pin to show their allegiance – were joined by their celebrating friends and relatives. One American woman told Metro Éireann that her ceremony experience was “emotional”.
Another woman, originally from Angola, said her new citizenship was more “a privilege than an honour”. She added that she was happy she would be able to travel throughout Europe without requiring a visa.
Overall, Metro Éireann learned that travelling, voting and equality are the most immediate benefits this new group of citizens say they stand to gain. But more importantly, they look forward to being acknowledged as part of society.
One family from India told Metro Éireann said their naturalisation would help ensure they can provide the best for their children here in Ireland.
Meanwhile, some said they were already feeling very much at home here and were in no hurry to apply for citizenship before.
“I am here for 19 years and I can say I fell in love with the country,” said one American woman.
Responding to the time taken by the Department of Justice to decide on applications, an Israeli man said it was understandable.
“Ireland is such a small country that it has to pay attention to who is coming in,” he said.
Amaka Okonkwo from Nigeria, who works in Metro Éireann’s advertising department, said her ceremony was “definitely well organised, if you consider that there were 4,000 participants” on the day.
“The co-ordination was super, everything was perfect, the whole package was brilliant,” she added. “It was good to hear the Garda Band playing [the national anthem]. For the first time I felt Irish. It was very welcoming.”
Okonkwo said she felt “rewarded” and “accomplished” having “come to the end of a journey” after 11 years in Ireland.
“I feel I have completed the race, I have completed my identity – my Irish identity,” she said. “I feel welcomed, I feel recognised, I feel integrated. I feel hungry to positively impact Irish society and my community more.”
She also appreciated Minister Shatter’s “very passionate, empowering and encouraging” address.
“I could really feel the sense of belonging as he made the new Irish citizens feel part of the Irish system. I particularly appreciated his remark about the contributions migrants and foreign nationals bring to Ireland.”
Okonkwo said she hoped the minister would be mindful of those in the asylum system, and consider those who have been living in direct provision for some time.
“His goodwill should be extended to improving the asylum system in Ireland as he has improved the naturalisation process.”
She noted too the feeling of gratitude among her fellow new citizens for the minister’s efforts to shorten the naturalisation process. “With it, he has given a smile and a new sense of hope to families,” she said.
Looking forward to the future, Okonkwo said she hoped integration in Ireland “will go further”.
“There is a gap in the entrepreneurial and political sectors in Ireland,” she explained. “Migrants are talented and highly skilled, but there are no open opportunities to enable them to make fruit from their ideas.
“We want to show we are ready to boost the Irish economy, but we need the opportunities to prove it.”
By Florian Stenner and Anna Cinzia Dellagiacoma
