Ireland's first black mayor signals change

Rotimi Adebaru, a symbol of the changing demographics in a country that has never been known for its multicultural identity.

Eric Larson | December 2007 issue

Just seven years ago, Rotimi Adebari—a Christian fleeing religious persecution in his home country of Nigeria—was just one among tens of thousands of immigrants flooding into Ireland. Today, he is the mayor of Port Laoise—a town of about 15,000 west of Dublin—a symbol of the changing demographics in a country that has never been known for its multicultural identity. Adebari is Ireland’s first black mayor.

Historically, Ireland has been a country of emigrants—to Am- erica, to England—but the last decade has seen newcomers arriving from some 150 countries. Thousands have come from continental Europe to reap the rewards of the “Celtic Tiger” economic boom of the past decade. Many others, like Adebari, are refugees from conflict-ridden African nations.

In many regards, Ireland’s stance toward immigrants is progressive. Until 2004, for instance, newborn babies guaranteed citizenship for their immigrant parents. Non-citizens in Ireland are allowed to hold public office, join the police force and participate in local elections. However, new immigrants routinely report that underlying tension and discrimination pervade their everyday lives.

In an effort to confront quality-of-life issues such as this during his time in office, Adebari, who earned a masters degree in intercultural studies at Dublin City University, founded Optimum Point, a consulting agency that advises and offers trainings on intercultural awareness among groups and individuals. Also, in a weekly radio program, “Respecting Differences,” Adebari regularly engages listeners in discussions about racism and social exclusion and what can be done by ordinary citizens to defend against them.

As Ireland’s non-native population continues to grow, such discussions will no doubt become more necessary. It’s lucky for Ireland that trailblazers like Adebari, who are already redefining what it means to be Irish outside the nation’s borders, will be able to lead the way.

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