Ten people including Republic of Ireland captain Séamus Coleman have received the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad during a ceremony at Áras an Uachtaráin.
The award was established by the government following the 2011 Global Irish Economic Forum as a means to recognise the contribution of members of the Irish diaspora and was first awarded in 2012.
The other recipients were lawyer Aduke Gomez; playwright Rosalind Scanlon; translator Enrico Terrinoni; designer Orla Kiely; teacher Sr Teresa McKeon; lawyer Mary O’Neil; social worker Pam O’Mahony; former US Senator Patrick Leahy; and archivist Stella O’Leary.
Speaking after the ceremony, Tánaiste Simon Harris said the awards are “an important opportunity to celebrate the profound global impact of the Irish diaspora”.
“The Ireland of today is modern and diverse and this diversity is reflected in our awardees tonight who are spread across four continents and work in various areas of expertise,” he said.
“Some of those that received the award tonight are Irish citizens, others can trace their Irish heritage though generations and some hold great affinity to Ireland, Irish culture and values.
“Each of them has had a profound impact on the lives of others and this is why they are deserving of our recognition tonight.”
Following the conferring ceremony, Mr Harris hosted a dinner at Dublin Castle in honour of this year’s awardees.
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