A record-breaking figure.
Nearly a million Irish passports were issued in 2019, which is up 7% from 2018.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that more than 5,800 applications were submitted from around the world in a single day during peak periods.
It was also announced that the total monthly applications exceeded 100,000 in January, March, April and May alone.
Tánaiste Simon Coveney spoke about the record-breaking year, saying: “2019 was another bumper year for the Passport Service.
“The award-winning Passport Online expanded in 2019 to include first-time applicants in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Europe. Irish citizens including children can also renew their passports online 24/7, from anywhere in the world.
“The Irish passport is a valuable document and we continue to strengthen all processes to prevent fraud and maintain its integrity and security.”
RTÉ has said that the oldest online applicant was 101 years of age and the youngest just five days old.
Meanwhile, the most popular baby girls’ names were Emily, Grace and Anna, while James, Jack and Noah topped the baby boys’ list.
The most popular surname was Murphy. Makes sense really, we all know a Murphy…
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