The annual Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad honours the work of exceptional people who contribute to Ireland and to Irish communities abroad. It is a way of reflecting the remarkable and wide-ranging contribution of Irish people abroad to their diaspora communities. The awards are organised by the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade and nominations are made by Irish communities abroad through Ireland’s Embassy Network.
The Presidential Distinguished Service Awards were established by the Irish Government in 2012, to provide a system of state recognition for those living abroad. They allow the state to formally recognise the achievements of the Irish "global Family". Nominees may be Irish citizens, entitled to Irish citizenship or from an Irish background. This award seeks to recognise the hard work, energy and dedication of these individuals who make such a valuable contribution to other people’s lives, around the world.
For 2016, an additional category has been introduced - Science, Technology & Innovation - giving a total of six categories under which individuals can be nominated.
Over the last 4 years, forty remarkable recipients have received the Award, chosen from pools of high quality nominees. The nomination process for the 2016 award is now underway, and should you know of someone who fits the criteria, please consider nominating them using the links to the nomination forms below.
Award categories
- Irish Community Support
- Arts, Culture and Sport
- Charitable Works
- Business and Education
- Peace, Reconciliation and Development
- Science, Technology and Innovation (additional category introduced in 2016)
Who is eligible for Nomination?
Whether they are Irish citizens, entitled to Irish citizenship or from an Irish background, the hard work, energy and dedication of nominees make a valuable contribution to people’s lives and are deserving of the Irish state's thanks and respect.
In order to be eligible for consideration, nominees must be habitually resident outside the island of Ireland and are required to satisfy the following additional requirements:
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Have rendered distinguished service to the nation and/or its reputation abroad;
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Have actively and demonstrably contributed to Ireland and/or its international reputation and/or Irish communities abroad in at least one of the categories listed above;
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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 5 years.
2016 Nomination and Deadline
The nomination process for the 2016 Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad (PDSA) is currently open and will close on Wednesday 20th April 2016.
Nominations can be made by any member of the public, but are submitted through the Irish Embassy in the country of residence of the nominee. If you know someone who meets the criteria above, please complete the 2016 Nomination Form and forward it to the Irish Embassy for the country the nominee is resident in before Wednesday, 20th April, 2016.
For more information on eligibility and the nomination process, as well as to read about past recipients, please visit the official Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade page here.
Contacting the Embassy
See here a full list of Irish Embassies and their contact details.
The Award
The award itself is made from Irish hardwoods and other locally-sourced materials. It is made using a mix of modern and traditional technologies at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology in Letterfrack which specialises in furniture design. It is designed by Spear Product Design, an award-winning, multidisciplinary design studio based in Dublin.
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