Due to its colonial past, Ireland has often been described as an exceptional state in Western Europe. The discourse of Irish exceptionalism also suggests a smoother path of integration for Muslim migrants compared to other Western European countries. Apart from providing an overview of Muslim immigration to the Republic of Ireland in the last 20 years, the paper critically engages with the discourse of Irish exceptionalism and discusses how Ireland’s experience of colonialism shapes current discourses on the new Islamic presence in the Republic of Ireland.