Irish Protestors: “No More Migrants!”

Irish Protestors: “No More Migrants!”

While many protests against the influx of migrants and asylum-seekers occur in Ireland near refugee centers in small neighborhoods, recently a larger protest was organized and held in Dublin. Ireland has historically prided itself on its warm welcome to strangers, however, protesters argue that the nation is running out of room to house non-Irish people. Ireland is currently facing both a housing and a homelessness crisis and many are angry that foreigners receive housing priority over citizens. Many also worry that droves of young refugee men are arriving in the country unvetted, leaving the neighborhoods they settle into uncomfortable with their presence. One year ago, the government was housing a total number of 7,500 migrants and refugees; today, that number has climbed to 73,000 with Ukrainians comprising 54,000 and asylum-seekers 19,000. A counter-protest took place in support of migrants with both groups having nearly the same number of participants. The protestors against the influx of migrants deny that racism has any bearing on their position while the counter-protestors state that it is a far-right maneuver to isolate and frighten the refugees.

Prior to the current refugee situation, Ireland’s population was 4.9 million. Of those millions, only 1.5% are evangelical Christians while the majority of the country is Roman Catholic–many in name only. Please pray for the Irish people to be open to the gospel, for church planters to go to this needy nation, and for the peace and love of Jesus Christ to drastically change the hearts of every person there, both Irish and non-Irish.

An Ideal Retirement

An Ideal Retirement

As some people near retirement age, they begin considering if they would like to move abroad during those years. In the United Kingdom, the popular internet search “best country to retire to” has increased 94% in the past year. Many retirees are searching for locations with good weather, healthcare, and exchange rate for the British pound. An estimated 12% of UK residents over the age of 50 are planning to retire outside of the country. Research and polls have been conducted to determine the most popular countries for retirement, with three interesting contenders.

Croatia was voted the best, with a population of 21% over the age of 65. The warmer climate and lower cost of living are major draws for those seeking a new environment. Spain has long been a favourite tourist spot and has a warm, sunny climate similar to Croatia’s. This coupled with the highly-rated healthcare in Spain makes it the second most popular retirement destination. With a climate completely unlike the previous countries, Ireland comes in at the third spot. It is said to be one of the happiest and safest places to retire, and the visa process for those from the UK is simpler and cheaper than other places.

Many of these expats move countries to have a better quality of life during retirement, but how much better it would be if they could hear the Gospel, repent of their sins, and have a personal relationship with God! The influx of foreigners to these countries gives missionaries there an opportunity to reach other nations while staying in one place. The statistics show that none of these countries have an evangelical population above 2%; Croatia = 0.4%, Ireland = 1.5%, Spain = 1%. Please be praying for missionaries in these countries and for others to join them in the work of the Gospel.

Who Will Go to the 6.6 Million in Ireland?

Who Will Go to the 6.6 Million in Ireland?

The island of Ireland is politically divided between the Republic of Ireland, containing 26 counties, and Northern Ireland–part of the United Kingdom–containing 6 counties. The political division is rooted in hundreds of years of religious division. As of 2016, 6.6 million people live in Ireland. Around 4.9 million live in the Republic and 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland. 

While Ireland has a reputation of being a very Christian place, this is not entirely rooted in past history or the current times. Ireland enjoyed the Gospel-focused ministry of Patrick in 4th century A.D. that transformed the dark Celtic Ireland. Around 400 hundred years later the Catholic Church moved in and radically changed Ireland away from the simplicity of the true Gospel. While Northern Ireland and much of Western Europe experienced periods of great revival and the Reformation, the Republic of Ireland never did. For almost 1,000 years Ireland has been engulfed in the works-based religion of Roman Catholicism.

Currently, less than 1% of the Irish in the Republic would claim to be evangelical Christians. This number has increased recently, largely because of the 12% of the population who have immigrated to the Republic of Ireland. The Republic of Ireland is the least evangelized English-speaking country in the world. It is also the most Catholic English-speaking country of the world. Due to recent scandals of the Catholic Church, many in the younger generations are claiming Atheism and Agnosticism. According to these realities, it could be argued that the Irish are largely an unreached people group. As referenced in a previous article about the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland is in great need of the Gospel as well. While there are several great ministries already in Ireland, there is still a great need for more evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. 

Here are some further facts to understand the need and potential:

  • In the Republic, 78% claim Catholicism but 48% are non-practicing. 
  • In the Republic, “No religion” grew by 73% from 2011 to 2016.
  • 45% of those in Northern Ireland would identify as Catholic.  Few gospel-preaching churches can be found in the sectarian Catholic communities. 
  • According to Pew Research, only 24% of those in the Republic of Ireland say they “believe in God with absolute certainty”.
  • Less than 1% of the Irish in the Republic would identify as evangelical Christian. 
  • In one generation God used Patrick to turn ancient Ireland upside down with the Gospel! In our generation, God-called people can still be used to change the world around them with Christ’s life changing message!

Please pray for more laborers for the following cities: 

  1. Dublin 
  2. Belfast 
  3. Cork 
  4. Derry
  5. Limerick 
  6. Galway
  7. Dundalk
  8. Wexford
  9. Ennis
  10. Newry
  11. Portlaoise
  12. Kilkenny 
  13. Balbriggan
  14. Letterkenny 
  15. Sligo
  16. Carlow
  17. Tralee
  18. Clonmel 

Written by Josh Furan