Warm welcome for new Irish citizens

Sir, – Your report on the Killarney ceremony conferring Irish citizenship on 2000 non-nationals makes cheerful and uplifting reading (Anne Lucey, Home News, December 10th). It is particularly joyful at this Christmas season to see how Ireland is proudly taking its place as a multicultural and multi-ethnic nation.

TV pictures of the ceremony showed what a joyous occasion it was, and one could not fail to be moved by the obvious happiness evident on the faces of our new citizens who arrived to our shores from over a hundred diverse countries.

I have no doubt that the decent people of Ireland share their joy.

Is it too much to hope that the racists and xenophobes, who recently gave Ireland of the welcomes a bad name, might have second thoughts about our immigrant population? These new Irish undoubtedly have much to contribute to Ireland both economically and culturally. We need them as much as they need us. Céad míle fáilte to our new Irish citizens. – Yours, etc,

READ SOME MORE

GEAROID KILGALLEN,

Dún Laoghaire,

Co Dublin.