the Irish government's Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, Colm Brophy, has announced the opening of the nominations process for the 2022 Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad.
Minister Brophy, who was in New York in recent days, said: “I am delighted to announce the call for nominations for the Presidential Distinguished Service Award, which acknowledges the many ways members of our Diaspora contribute to Ireland, the Irish community abroad and Ireland’s reputation across the world.
"Over the last ten years, 108 remarkable recipients have received the Award, across a range of categories, chosen from pools of high quality nominees. Among them are some well-known international names, including Jack Charlton, Liam Neeson, Chuck Feeney, Fionnuala Flanagan, Gabriel Byrne, Dermot O’Leary, Terry Wogan, Fiona Shaw, Thomas Keneally, Edna O’Brien, George Mitchell and Jim Stynes."
Cobtinued Minister Brophy: "The awards also allow us to celebrate the outstanding efforts made by recipients who may be less well-known, in order to rightly draw attention to their highly significant contributions to the societies in which they live. People such as emigrant rights activist Sally Mulready, retired policeman and founder of the Project Children Charity Denis Mulcahy, human rights and charity activist Sally O’Neill Sanchez, astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell, and biographer Ian Gibson to name but a few.
"As Minister of State for the Diaspora I am aware of the profound impact our global family has had around the world in so many countries and in a variety of fields, and I am proud that Ireland recognizes all that our diaspora have done and continue to do. The Presidential Distinguished Service Award remains a very important opportunity to acknowledge in a formal way those who have made a sustained contribution to Ireland or Irish communities abroad.
"We want to ensure that the Award continues to attract outstanding nominees and I encourage everyone to consider nominating eligible candidates.”
Started a release accompanying the minister's statement: "The Presidential Distinguished Service Award was established as a means to recognise the contribution of members of the Irish diaspora, and the first awards were made in 2012. Nominations are made by Irish communities abroad through Ireland’s network of Diplomatic Missions.
"In order to be eligible for consideration, nominees must be habitually resident outside the island of Ireland and are required to satisfy one of the following additional requirements: have rendered distinguished service to the nation and/or its reputation abroad; have actively and demonstrably contributed to Ireland and/or its international reputation and/or Irish communities abroad in at least one of the listed categories; have a track record of sustained support and engagement with Ireland and/or its international reputation and/or Irish communities abroad over a period of not less than five years; or
have made a sustained and distinguished service to Ireland on a global or international issue of importance.
"Nominations should be submitted through the Embassy of Ireland in the country of residence of the nominee before Wednesday, 11th May 2022".
