An Post (the Irish postal service) launched a special collection of five stamps to pay tribute to the Irish abroad, on 27 February 2020.

I was honoured to be part of the committee brought together by An Post to contribute to the ideation process. We wanted to acknowledge the diversity within the Irish diaspora over the centuries through the shared experiences of departing, arriving, and networking.

Two additional stamps honour six Irish people who have made significant social, cultural, political or intellectual impacts in their host countries:

• writer, Edna O’Brien
• x-ray crystallographer and pacifist, Dame Professor Kathleen Lonsdale
• actor, Richard Harris
• musician, Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore
• priest and aid worker, Fr Michael Kelly
• aid worker, Mary Elmes, who saved 200 children’s lives during the Holocaust.

You can see the stamps here: https://www.anpost.com/Shop/Special-issue-stamps/The-Irish-Abroad

Read more about the collection here: https://www.anpost.com/Media-Centre/News/An-Post-Stamps-Perfect-for-St-Patrick’s-Day