Today I became Irish

Just call me FrankO’Sinatra

Thanks to now dead Irish grandparent, I applied for Citizenship via the Foreign Births Register. Today that has been accepted, next stage is Irish / EU passport then hassle free travel through Europe!

I will obviously be popping out for a pint of something (not sure what….) to celebrate but also planning a 4-5 day bike tour in Ireland next year to get to know my fellow Irish citizens. Any routes / trails / tours / areas to recommend?

Congrats.

Time to look at properties? Somewhere nice and sunny. Rules out Ireland, though.

Congratulations, I’m rather envious. Unfortunately I’m too many generations removed to use my ancestry to obtain an Irish passport but admire anyone who can.

Can’t help with the touring but I can always recommend a suitable beer ;o)

Will you adopt me?

ohh thats interesting.

Whats the basic criteria ? does it stop at grandparent, or does great grand etc mean you qualify.

My Fathers family originate from Derry, when it was a village, and the DNA profile is 100% Irish, Mothers side is southern Irish, with quite a number of ‘Irish dancers’

‘Irish dancing’ Possibly invented from being hanged by the English.

I looked at this as I know Dad’s mum was a Rooney of Irish ancestry. Unfortunately for me it was her grandparents who came over which is too far back for me to be able to claim an Irish passport, as far I’m aware

You lucky lucky bastard* – or perhaps not if you have the correct lineage 🙂

* closest I can get to getting an EU passport is a french ancestor from over 200 hundred years & 5 generations ago.

Time to look at properties? Somewhere nice and sunny. Rules out Ireland, though.

That’s the plan. Relatively early retirement and house in Andalucía. Its all mapped out…

Whats the basic criteria ? does it stop at grandparent, or does great grand etc mean you qualify.

Proper Irish grandparent, born in Ireland is enough. You need a lot of evidence like all three generations of birth certificates, marriage certificates etc. You also need deep pockets, it cost about £280 or so. I think it stops at grandparents though, I don’t think my kids are eligible but I need to look into that more.

Congratulations so.

Whats the basic criteria ?

A grandparent born on the island of Ireland

My mum’s side of the family are from County Mayo, she was born in Bury but everyone before her was born in Ireland so I qualify for this. Indeed one of my sisters has already done it and has full Irish citizenship now and I keep meaning to.

I don’t think my kids are eligible

They’re not (other sister has daughter and was hoping she’d be eligible, but no joy)

That’s the plan. Relatively early retirement and house in Andalucía. Its all mapped out…

We had plans to buy my in law’s place in Corsica, live there for 9 months pa & let it out for the busy & hot summer months…

I don’t think my kids are eligible

Er. You’re Irish aren’t you?

nicely.  I need to do this.  Preferably in the next year or so before my English passport expires!  I’m hoping an Irish mother (who is still alive) will make it easier…

I keep meaning to do this as my mum was born in Ireland.

I’m quarter Irish too; grandad (deceased ) from Kerry.

What’s the actual benefit of doing it generally??

Gártha! I’d be looking at doing a section of the Wild Atlantic Way. You can take in amazing scenery plus Achill Island (Banshees), Westport (Matt Molloy’s for absolutely ace traditional music and Guinness), Clifden (more music), Galway for a bit of urban experience.  It’s best out of season but then the weather is a bit (!) of a gamble.

nicely.  I need to do this.  Preferably in the next year or so before my English passport expires!  I’m hoping an Irish mother (who is still alive) will make it easier…

If your Mum was born in Ireland it should be super straightforward, also means if you have kids they will be eligible.

A quick Google suggests that my kids are not eligible as I got my citizenship after they were born. If I had kids now they would be eligible as I would be Irish citizen at the point of their birth. So, tip top tip for the younger forums members, if you don’t have kids yet and you have an Irish grandparent, do your future kids a favour and get your citizenship!

What’s the actual benefit of doing it generally??

EU passport, that is my main reason for doing it.

Also, was born in England, have lived in Scotland all of my adult life and am now an Irish citizen. Means I have three times the opportunity a winning team to cheer in the rugby!

This is something I’ve been meaning to do, while my father was born Northern Ireland he still qualifies as Irish thanks to the Good Friday agreement. Not sure if that extends to my kids being able to apply in this case though.

Lucky fecker!

I missed out by one generation on my grandads side… my great grandad on my mother side was Irish….but I don’t qualify as I too far removed…

This is something I’ve been meaning to do, while my father was born Northern Ireland he still qualifies as Irish thanks to the Good Friday agreement. Not sure if that extends to my kids being able to apply in this case though.

I don’t know the technicalities, but if you qualify for duel citizenship you should ‘just because you can’ as you might then be able to pass that right to your kids, but if you don’t, then it’s certaintly not an option for you kids in future?

What’s the actual benefit of doing it generally??

EU passport, that is my main reason for doing it.

Also, was born in England, have lived in Scotland all of my adult life and am now an Irish citizen. Means I have three times the opportunity a winning team to cheer in the rugby!

Ah, ok, not a big benefit for me then as I rarely travel abroad and if I did it’d not be for a long period of time or regularly.

Last time was Norway in 2016, and my passport has run out.

I keep meaning to do this as my mum was born in Ireland.

You’re already Irish: you just need to register.

Brings a whole new meaning to “the luck of the Irish”

You’re already Irish: you just need to register.

I know, I have a paperwork phobia though.

I know, I have a paperwork phobia though.

Sounds like you’re in the same position I’ve been in since, oh, about 2016….

My brother’s done it, several of my cousins have done it…. need to pull my socks up!

Ah, ok, not a big benefit for me then as I rarely travel abroad

If you were ever to buy a holiday home in spain for example…then you’d have to pay 24% tax on the rental income with no offsets… as an eu citizen you only pay 19%, and you can offset that bill further with property maintenence costs.

So if you or your kids or grandkids ever intend to live in europe, it’s an absolute no brainer.

Irish dancing’ Possibly invented from being hanged by the English.

Are you ignoring Scotlands role in the whole shambles on purpose? 

Ah, ok, not a big benefit for me then as I rarely travel abroad

If you were ever to buy a holiday home in spain for example…then you’d have to pay 24% tax on the rental income with no offsets… as an eu citizen you only pay 19%, and you can offset that bill further with property maintenence costs.

So if you or your kids or grandkids ever intend to live in europe, it’s an absolute no brainer.

Haha! You mistake me for the stereotypical STW member lol! Not going to happen.

As for kids/grandkids they’re already ‘here’ so if what was said up there ^^ is true they’ve already missed out.

Whats the basic criteria ?

Anyone who is born on the island of Ireland is an Irish citizen, as are their children, though you need to do something to activate it e.g. apply for an Irish passport. The grandchild of anyone born in the island of Ireland is also eligible but needs to be registered on the FBR, which is cheaper if they’re <18; the great-grandchild might be eligible but their parent needs to be registered via the FBR and anyone born after 2010 is only eligible if their parent was registered before they were born. @fooman Your kids should be eligible as they’re in the same boat as mine who are both FBR’d on the strength of my Mum being born in Co. Antrim.

You’re already Irish: you just need to register.

AIUI you just have to activate your citizenship by applying for a passport*, you don’t need to register via the FBR. I don’t actually know if I’ve activated mine by putting the girls on the FBR.

What’s the actual benefit of doing it generally??

We’d not have bothered (I’m unlikely to go and work in the EU) but we thought it would make it easier if the girls decide to get a summer job in the EU, or study there as they’d not then need a visa.

*As an aside, Ireland doesn’t have domestic ID cards but you can get a natty photocard with your passport which is valid for EU travel

I know, I have a paperwork phobia though.

It’s understandable – it took me ages to get around to filling in my kids’ forms.

the great-grandchild might be eligible but their parent needs to be registered via the FBR and anyone born after 2010 is only eligible if their parent was registered before they were born.

This is very interesting as it fits my situation perfectly, all of my kids were born before 2010. I’ve not seen this on any of the official sites, do you have a source?

Ah, I guess my son could potentially want to work or study in the EU. Currently  doing his  Highers.

But it would be his great grandad who is Irish, so that’d rule him out? Plus if I got mine he wouldn’t count as he’s already been born?

Is a visa for that stuff actually difficult to get, or just a paper work exercise?

Edit: just seen the above post. He was born 2009.

I’m Irish, you know proper Irish, born and raised (a bit) in Ireland(NI). My kids have all had UK passports (as have I) until now but when they come up for renewal they are picking up Republic of Ireland EU versions. All very straightforward, they send off their birth certificate together with a copy of mine. There was a big delay the year after lockdowns but no actual issues.

There isn’t any concept of activating your citizenship, if you were born anywhere on the island you are a citizen, and your children are too, wherever they are born. Even without a passport you would be entitled to consular help abroad, though how you would prove that, who knows. Because you are a citizen, they will issue a passport, and if you have your certificates already it works out slightly cheaper than a UK renewal.

You also need deep pockets, it cost about £280 or so.

Have you looked at the cost of UK citizenship recently?

@longdog In theory (if I’m right about the cut-off) you’d have to register then he could do so as the child of an Irish citizen born overseas. But this will all cost €€€ so I’d try and take some advice from someone who actually knows what they’re talking about ie. not me.

@franksinatra I remember reading this somewhere before I put my kids’ FBR paperwork in, but can I find it now? Can I hell.

What’s the actual benefit of doing it generally??

Been living under a rock since 2016?

Alpin, no, but I have been happily living in Scotland without any need for visa or passports.

Not likely to be working in EU as I’m not able to work and not likely to be buying a holiday home in the EU (or anywhere).

Was vaguely interested for my son who has mentioned about going to Germany to study, not that he’s been there or talks German.

I wish it worked backwards.  My son was born in Northern Ireland and this entitles him to Irish citizenship, despite neither me nor his mum having any recent Irish lineage.  He hasn’t sorted out his passport yet, I shall remind him!  Enjoy OP, you lucky sod!

Are you ignoring Scotlands role in the whole shambles on purpose?

It was a bit of gallows humour. Calm down dear

Congratulations! Welcome to the fast passport line. One of the best things I’ve ever done was applying for my Irish passport. You can  join me waiting for my bags, which with UK-originating flights, seem to be suspiciously timed to arrive alongside the array of bedraggled / bewildered/ fuming UK passport holders. Even returning home from the EU I use the Irish passport as to quote a Uk border force bod at Hull port “Ah, an easy one, we’ll do yours first. You need to get your kids one!”

I have to go to Saudi in a few weeks. Probably the only time I’ll use my British passport this year.