Ireland rugby international Bundee Aki was one of 3,600 people who became Irish citizens on Monday in ceremonies taking place at the Convention Centre in Dublin.
The Ireland and Connacht centre, who lives in Co Galway, said it was “a privilege” to become a citizen of Ireland.
“I’ve been here for a very long time ... I’ve embraced the people and the people have embraced me and my family as well,” he said, adding: “We feel like we’re at home”.
Originally from the Auckland suburb of Otahuhu in New Zealand, Aki has lived in Ireland for 10 years now. He has 57 caps, has scored 16 tries for Ireland, and was recently named as the BDO Ireland Men’s XVs players’ player of the year 2024 by his peers.
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“To be granted citizenship is not something you take lightly,” Aki said.
“I have nothing to complain about here. I love the people, love the culture. There’s not a bad word I could speak about Ireland.”
He said he was a bit nervous before the ceremony but he would “enjoy this moment and cherish it”.
His friends and family were “all delighted” for him, he said.
Aki and the thousands of other new citizens were congratulated by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee who attended the ceremonies on Monday.
“Having had the privilege of attending many citizenship ceremonies, it fills me with joy being able to share this special day with so many people”, she said.
Monday’s citizenship ceremonies were the 17th to take place this year, with people from 143 countries conferred as citizens.
Thousands of people were undertaking “a life changing journey” in becoming an Irish citizen, Ms McEntee said.
“I would like to congratulate all our new citizens and wholeheartedly thank them for their contribution and commitment to Irish society. I have no doubt that they will continue to contribute to making Ireland a more diverse and vibrant place to live,” she said.
So far this year, 11,417 people have been conferred with citizenship, with further ceremonies planned for later in the year.
The nationalities with the most applicants to Monday’s ceremony were India (502) and the United Kingdom (338), followed by Brazil (293), according to figures from the Department of Justice.
Among others who received their citizenship on Monday was Brazilian man Guilherme who preferred to be identified by his first name. Originally from Sao Paulo, Guilherme said he moved to Ireland almost 10 years ago to live as “an openly gay man”, which he felt was “not safe to do” in his home country.
The counties with the highest number of applicants were Dublin (1,554), Cork (333), Meath (172) and Limerick (122).
Retired judge Paddy McMahon administered “the Declaration of Fidelity to the Irish Nation and Loyalty to the State” in his capacity as the presiding officer.
Minister of State for integration Joe O’Brien and Minister of State for financial services Neale Richmond also attended the ceremonies.
It was an honour to be there, Mr O’Brien said, as he thanked the newly conferred citizens “for choosing Ireland as their home and contributing so much to our nation”.
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