'DELIGHTED' - Lord of the Rings star secures Irish passport and says Brexit 'was a con'
The actor, known for iconic roles in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the popular Lost television show, said he 'rejects completely the idea of separating from Europe'
British actor Dominic Monaghan revealed he was able to apply for an Irish passport as he slammed Brexit as "a con".
The Lord of the Rings star, who played one of the iconic hobbits 'Merry' in the film franchise, took to Instagram to proudly display the easily-recognisable Irish passport. The actor urged others who can to do the same, saying he was "so DELIGHTED" to secure the passport due to family ties on his father's side.
The 47-year-old was born in Berlin, Germany but moved to Stockport, UK at the age of 11. Dominic has lived in Los Angeles for almost two decades now. As well as his well-known stint as Merry, Monaghan has played major parts in the television series Lost, as well as a superhero role in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Sharing a photo of himself holding his red Irish passport with his 556k followers on Instagram, the actor explained his 'family history' meant he could apply for the document.
In a passionate caption, the actor wrote: "#brexit was a con, I haven’t heard ONE good thing about it, lies lies lies, it’s important to build bridges NOT walls, I reject completely the idea of separating from Europe and not being part of that group anymore, sharing trade, ideas, and building the future together as a collective instead of clinging onto some bizarre idea that the British empire is still “a thing”."
He continued: "I am so DELIGHTED due to my family history I was able to apply for an Irish passport giving me back the rights that were taken from me due to the Brexit vote. If you can do the same I would encourage you to."
A number of legal changes and restrictions have been imposed on the UK since the disastrous Brexit vote resulted in the country leaving the EU in 2020. The withdrawal saw British citizens' EU citizenship and free movement rights ended. Those rights had enabled them to visit, live, work or study in an EU Member State without needing a visa.