DUBLIN: The country warmly welcomed 1,000 people who recently received their Irish citizenship in a virtual ceremony.
The event was live streamed from Croke Park, and included performances by some of the new citizens as well as the Garda Band.
The online ceremony provided an opportunity for new citizens to complete the process by signing a legal declaration confirming their loyalty to the country.
Minister for Justice welcomed new citizens
All new citizens were welcomed by Justice Minister Heather Humphries. The minister was part of the ceremony online from Valentia Island in County Kerry.
“Over the last year so much has changed about how we live our lives but our sense of kinship, community and belonging is stronger than ever before and I am honoured to welcome so many people who have chosen to make Ireland their home,” Ms Humphries said.
“By sharing their own unique cultures and traditions with us, our newest citizens have become part of our communities and we are all the richer for it,” she added.
So far this year, more than 6,500 people have completed their citizenship applications and 4,400 have received their certificates of naturalisation.
Open citizenship ceremonies were suspended early on in the pandemic. Virtual citizenship ceremonies have been resumed as a temporary measure since January this year. In-person ceremonies are expected to resume in December 2021.
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