A new association to promote the interests of the Moldovan community in Ireland was recently unveiled in Dublin, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting the Irish media. According to its founders, the Moldovan Association of Ireland will represent the interests of around five thousand Moldovans living there in areas such as business, culture and social integration. The Association also intends to build closer relations between the two countries. Elena Secas, one of the organizers, said the association exists to give a voice to a people not as well known as other immigrant groups. “Moldovan immigrants work in a wide range of jobs and make a valuable contribution to economic life in Ireland”, she was quoted by Irishtimes.com as saying. Partly in order to promote the interest of the Moldovan immigrants in Ireland, Elena Secas has become the first non-Irish candidate to stand for election to County Councilor in Limerick, where she has settled down with her family. Earlier, she told Info-Prim Neo: “I wouldn't say that Moldovans can fight their way easier abroad. I think it's perseverance and confidence in your own abilities that counts the most”. Like the Republic of Moldova, Ireland experienced large-scale emigration in the 1950s and 1980s, owing to unfavorable economic conditions. Once Ireland gained high living standards, it started to attract numerous groups of migrants, even US nationals.