The Ambassador of France to Ireland has awarded Ailbhe Smyth the Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur (National Order of the Legion of Honour). Ms Céline Place presented the Irish feminist and LGBTQ+ activist with the insignia at a ceremony in Dublin’s Mansion House on Friday, February 7.
Smyth was recognised for her outstanding commitment to human rights and social justice, which continues to inspire and pave the way for a more equal future. Prior to presenting the award, Ambassador Place listed Ailbhe Smyth’s many achievements, particularly noting her involvement in the Marriage Equality and Repeal campaigns.
“Throughout your career you have championed the rights of women and minorities, helping to transform the social fabric of your country and inspiring change far beyond its borders. Your ability to combine academic excellence, compassionate leadership and tireless action is an inspiration to us all,” Place stated.
“You also remind us of the shared values that unite France and Ireland – the commitment to freedom, equality and solidarity – and it is fitting that France honours your immense contributions by promoting you to Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur.”
View this post on Instagram
Taking to the podium, Smyth said she is “deeply honoured, astonished and absolutely delighted” to receive the recognition. She added: “My involvement with French language and culture began very young and has been an enduring passion of my life.”
Surrounded by friends, family and colleagues, Smyth explained: “In a very real sense, it is I who owe a debt of gratitude to France which has been such a powerful formative factor in my intellectual, political and personal life. France – French literature – gave me my living and profoundly shaped how I think about the world. Escaping from the conservatism of Ireland, I found unimaginable freedom in France.”
Ailbhe stated that she learned her politics in France, and has “never ceased to be spurred on to action by the ideals of freedom, equality and solidarity”.
“My life has been all the richer and the more exciting because of it,” she added.
Delighted and deeply honoured to receive the Legion d’Honneur last night https://t.co/5IkkHSuQa5
— Ailbhe Smyth (@ailbhes) February 8, 2025
“I don’t need to spell out to anyone here the volatility of this moment. We are living in an increasingly unstable, dangerous world where we need to stand our ground and keep tight hold of our determination to refuse a world rooted in and driven by selfishness and narcissism, cruelty, greed, obscene profit, violence, war, appalling genocide and planetary destruction.
“It’s more important than ever in my lifetime for us to keep faith with our belief, our knowledge, that achieving an equal, just, sustainable and humane world is essential and possible. We must protect what we have gained through decades of tough struggles, face forward and keep fighting, together for what we have not yet achieved: the safety, wellbeing and freedom of all people.”
Ailbhe Smyth concluded her speech by quoting Simone de Beauvoir, “the North Star” of her adult life. “Se vouloir libre, c’est aussi vouloir les autres libres,” she said, translating to “Wanting to be free oneself, is also to want others to be free”.
© 2025 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: 20034580.
GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.
Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.
comments. Please sign in to comment.