Chinese people in Ireland
| |
|---|---|
 Chinese New Year celebration in Dublin, 2008 | |
| Total population | |
| 19,447 (2016) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Dublin | |
| Languages | |
| Mandarin, Cantonese, English, Irish | |
| Religion | |
| Irreligion, Buddhism, Atheism, Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Overseas Chinese, British Chinese |
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Chinese people in Ireland refer to people born in China or people of Chinese descent living in the Republic of Ireland. They constitute 0.4% of Ireland's population, at 19,447 residents.[1][2]
History
[edit]The first major wave of Chinese immigration to Ireland came from Hong Kong who are known as Hongkongers instead of Chinese nowadays.[3] This group often became business people, setting up their own restaurants and settling in Ireland permanently.[3] A second wave began in the late 1990s when large numbers of students began to come to Ireland to study at Irish universities.[3]
In the 2010s the Irish government began the "Immigrant Investor Programme" in which non-EU citizens could purchase resident status in Ireland if they contributed to government-run projects such as social housing or nursing homes or by donating to Irish charities.[4] The Irish Times reported in 2021 that 1,088 wealthy Chinese citizens (out of a total of 1,166 entering the programme) had paid up to €1,000,000 individually to receive Irish residency.[4] In 2018 the Irish Independent reported that Ireland had become the 3rd most popular destination in the world for wealthy Chinese immigrants after the United States and the United Kingdom.[5] A report found that in addition to the Immigrant Investor Programme, Ireland's place in the European Union, its technology sector and its low tax burden made it attractive to wealthy Chinese immigrants.[5]
Demographics
[edit]In 2016 the Irish census recorded 19,447 Chinese people living in Ireland.[1][2]
Politics
[edit]In 2020 Hazel Chu of the Green Party became the first Irish-born person of Chinese ethnicity to become Lord Mayor of Dublin. In doing so she was also the first person of Chinese ethnicity to become the mayor of a European capital city.[6]
Tourism
[edit]In 2015, 40,000 Chinese people visited Ireland, an increase of 10% from 2014.[7]
Notable people
[edit]- Lee Chin, GAA player
- Hazel Chu, politician
- Michael Craig-Martin, artist
- Eden (Jonathon Ng), musician
- Greg O'Shea, rugby player
- Jason Sherlock, footballer and Gaelic footballer
- Da-Wen Sun, academic
- Thaddea Graham, actress
- Steven He, actor and social media personality
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Census of Population 2016 – Profile 8 Irish Travellers, Ethnicity and Religion". Census 2016. CSO. 2016.
- ^ a b Chin, Mei (2 February 2019). "Chinese in Ireland: In praise of food, shopping and the mammy". Irish Times. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ a b c Ni, Jun (5 December 2019). "How Chinese migrants are adapting to life in Ireland". RTÉ News. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ a b O'Halloran, Barry (27 January 2021). "1,088 Chinese citizens pay up to €1m each for residency in the State". Irish Times. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ a b McLoughlin, Gavin (11 July 2021). "'Dark horse' destination - Ireland is new favourite for millionaire Chinese emigrants". Irish Independent. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ Carney, John (5 August 2020). "Dublin's first ethnic-Chinese mayor on racism, her parents' work ethic, and teaching poor children in China". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 11 March 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ Ryan, Órla (1 August 2015). "Millions of Chinese people will soon hear about how great Ireland is". The Journal. Retrieved 19 August 2016.