The award highlights work by Irish people abroad.
Irish actor Liam Neeson was presented with the Presidential Distinguished Service Award by President Michael D. Higgins in Áras an Uachtaráin on Friday morning.
The Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad is presented by the President every year to highlight Irish people living overseas who have performed ”outstanding work” outside of the country.
Listen:
President Higgins today presented actor Liam Neeson with the Distinguished Service Award: https://t.co/1S4lh68btZ pic.twitter.com/pOuYKXkWv0
— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) January 12, 2018
The Award acknowledges a range of areas – from arts and culture to sport or science.
The awards were formally presented at a ceremony back in November, but it’s understood that the Ballymena native was unable to attend the ceremony that day.
Áras an Uachtaráin has announced that Neeson was awarded in relation to his efforts to help to raise the profile of Irish artists around the world, his tireless work promoting Irish tourism and his work with UNICEF.
Back in 2016, the Taken star narrated a Tourism Ireland video promoting tourism to Ireland just before St Patrick’s Day.
Both Neeson and Tourism Ireland at the time put a call out to anyone with a love of, or interest in, Ireland to watch the film, share it and then come to Ireland to experience all it has to offer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fln2_6y4n9I
Neeson’s award, with which he was gifted today, reads: “As an extremely gifted and internationally renowned film actor, Liam Neeson has helped to raise Ireland’s profile and awareness of Ireland and Irish artists around the world, especially in the United States where he is based.”
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