Young Syrians living in Ireland say they feel "like a weight has been lifted" off their shoulders now that the Assad regime has fallen.
It is a week since Syrian opposition took control of Damascus and ousted President Bashar al-Assad's regime, which had ruled the country for 50 years.
RTÉ News spoke to young Syrians living in Ireland about how the past week has been and their hopes now for the future of Syria.
Sali Abouhajar, 29, is a dietician working at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.
She was born in Aleppo and came with her family to Ireland when she was six months old.
"I will always be a proud Dubliner!" Ms Abouhajar said. "I was watching the fall of the regime all happen at 2am. I am so relieved.
"There is so much emotion amongst the Syrian community. There is anger too that if we just could have been united from the start, we could have avoided those last 13 years.
"We have been living in oppression for so long. Even here in Ireland, you had to pick your words carefully in case family still living in Syria got into trouble. No one was afraid of dying, they were afraid of being tortured.
"I want to rebuild Syria. All of us can bring something back to improve the country. Ireland will always be my home but it would be nice to see even my parents retire to Syria now if they wanted to."
Abdul Shakerdi, 21, is a student studying medicine at Trinity College Dublin.
"I was born in Ireland. My father worked here. Then I lived in Syria until I was ten or 11 years old. We moved back to Ireland in 2014.
"Honestly, the last week has been overwhelming. If you had said to me this would happen two weeks ago, I would have called you crazy. We are overwhelmed and delighted.
"A big weight has been lifted off our shoulders. Before, when we spoke to family who are still in Syria, we used to use code names for the government. We were always afraid.
"Now the Assad regime is gone, we are facing a short period of instability but what's really important now is that we all get together. People from all political and religious backgrounds need to get together and build Syria back up again.
"I have faith in them get back up and running. At least now we have hope, it’s not just a constant decline. Now, Syrians need just some basic human rights like food and water. That’s how low the bar has been set by the regime."
Suleyman Elterkavi, 37, moved to Ireland from Homs in Syria only two months ago to study a MSc in Humanitarian Action at University College Dublin.
"I am overjoyed at the liberation of Syria and the overthrowing of the Assad regime. This family dominated Syria for over 50 years. It's a turning point for the nation.
"All the people now have this enthusiasm and they are turning that enthusiasm into action on the ground to build a new Syria.
"The scenes coming from the prisons. The harrowing experience of the people in there, it is very shocking. They are experiencing freedom for the first time after decades of detainment.
"Seeing the torture devices that were used in the prisons, it is shocking for all the world and it clearly explains why Syrians risked their families in the seas to escape Assad's brutality.
"Before, there was no hope at all. But now, there is hope for a new Syria and a new bright future for Syrians."
