The Guests at the Papal Address in Dublin Castle

The attendance at this event will reflect the status of as a Head of State and leader of over 1 billion Roman Catholics around the world.

In keeping with the formality of the occasion, the audience includes office-holders and public representatives.

Reflecting the themes of the ’s speech, the invited guests also include many people, from all walks of life, who represent modern Ireland in all its diversity. They also reflect the key themes of the Papacy of Pope Francis.

The guests in attendance include:

The Tánaiste and Members of the Government;

Former , Mary McAleese;

Former Taoisigh (, and );

Members of the Council of State;

Members of the Houses of the (the Irish Parliament) and the European Parliament;

Representatives from all communities in ;

Members of the Diplomatic Corps from more than 50 countries;

Members of the Judiciary;

Representatives of local government including the Lord Mayor of Dublin and the Mayors of Cork, , Galway, Waterford and others;

Representatives of many faiths from across the island of Ireland, including the Archbishops of Armagh and Dublin, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, the President of the Methodist Church, representatives of the Islamic Cultural Centre, the Orthodox Churches , the Jewish faith, the Bah’ai faith, Sikh faith, Hinduism, the Society of Friends, Evangelical churches and others;

Irish families, including families who have come to live in Ireland with Polish, Indian, Iraqi, Filipino, and African heritage; these include Catholic families, a Muslim family and a refugee family;

Schoolboys from Belvedere College, Dublin, a school run by Pope Francis’ Jesuit Order;

Schoolgirls from St. Mary’s College, ;

Grandparents, teenagers and young children; A couple from the Pope’s homeland of Argentina;

Victims and survivors of clerical sexual abuse and abuse in institutions;

Representatives of the farming community, people with disabilities, the LGBTI+ community, the travelling community, rural families and urban families, and prisoners;

People who provide care and services to others, including a doctor from Waterford, a Garda, a midwife, a mountain rescue volunteer from Mayo, an RNLI volunteer from Louth, a teacher from Dublin, an immigration officer, a carer, and a firefighter;

People who have worked overseas as part of Ireland’s peacekeeping and humanitarian work, including Air Corps, Army and Naval personnel, and aid workers from NGOs who have served in South Sudan and Malawi;

Representatives of organisations who advocate and care for the marginalised in society, including the Irish Refugee Council, the Peter McVerry Trust and the St Vincent de Paul Society;

Representatives from civic society and sporting organisations;

Political parties and groups North and South are represented including , Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, the Independent Alliance, the Alliance Party, the , the , the SDLP, and the Unionist Party;

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, representing the British Government; and

Public officials including the Garda Commissioner, the Chief of Staff of the Defence Force, Secretaries General of Government Departments, and University Presidents.