Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Irish citizens what do you think of Brits getting Irish passports?

109 replies

Itscoldouthere · 10/04/2019 22:39

I’d be very interested to know what Irish people think.
I’m a remainer and have always been very happy to be considered European, I lived in London in a multicultural environment and I have never identified with being British and certainly not English.
I’ve just got an Irish passport for myself and my 2 DC, I was born in Ireland, my parents lived there for 12 years, I’m the youngest of 6 we were all born in Ireland, both parents British, but my maternal grandparents were Irish. We left when I was 2 years old so I have no real memories of Ireland.
My husband is Scottish and proud of being so.
He keeps joking that we are fake Irish. He also thinks that Irish people must be pissed off with Brits just wanting to be identified as Irish for the passport.
I think he’s probably right, but would love to know what Irish people think.

OP posts:
midsomermurderess · 11/04/2019 14:46

Britian does care of you have other citizenship., Mouse. And no being Irish does not mean you have to apply to,sat in the U.K., for,historical reasons, the long relationship meyweent he country's and the common travel area. You pay tax where you live and work and have assets.

BackInTime · 11/04/2019 14:52

I think it's a bit odd in some cases where people apply purely for convenience having never set foot in Ireland, have no intention of ever going there and feel absolutely no connection to the country. I kind of feel that people should somehow feel some affiliation with a country to have citizenship.

What completely riles me in leave voters finding a long lost granny and applying for an Irish passport. I wish there was a way to stop this .

Quintella · 11/04/2019 14:54

I have no problem with it at all. The Irish state created the rules, these people are eligible for citizenship, so why shouldn’t they claim? In their shoes I would do the very same. I have nothing but scorn however for Leave voters applying for an Irish passport, happy to take rights away from their fellow UK citizens whilst making sure that they’re alright Jack. But legally they’re as entitled as anyone else to apply so I just shrug my shoulders and inwardly proclaim them to be utter tossers. And wish upon them a lifetime bout of piles.

What really does aggravate me though is that Ireland has no problem giving a passport to someone whose only connection to Ireland is an Irish born grandparent whereas children born and raised in Ireland to non-Irish parents are being denied citizenship. That’s a disgrace.

LittleChristmasMouse · 11/04/2019 14:55

midsomermurderess

Thanks for explaining. Feels a bit odd that a country will just give you something with no strings or consequences.

SilverySurfer · 11/04/2019 15:39

I do think anyone who voted for Brexit shouldn't be allowed one though.

It's rather presumptuous of you to assume that Leavers would even want one. I think you'll find we are very happy with our own nationality and UK passport. Sorry to disappoint if you had visions of us with our noses pressed against the windowpane.

joaninthesun · 11/04/2019 15:40

I’m pissed off,only because there was such an influx of applications from people from the UK that my daughters passport took an age to be processed and we had to get an emergency one the before travelling, this was back 2016. They have hired temporary staff since to deal with the overwhelming backlog.

It does piss me off that someone who has never been to Ireland and no real intention of coming here applies for it, just to keep their options open. And yes if someone voted leave them it’s hypocritical to apply for one, having your cake and eating it springs to mind.

joaninthesun · 11/04/2019 15:42

SilverySurfer do you really think that no one who has applied for an Irish passport voted leave Hmm

endofthelinefinally · 11/04/2019 15:50

Quintella, can people living and working in Ireland not apply for citizenship?
My DH was not born in UK, but after living and working here for many years he was allowed to apply for citizenship.

LorelaiRoryEmily · 11/04/2019 15:56

I do think anyone who voted for Brexit shouldn’t be allowed one though

This

I’m Irish and it doesn’t bother me at all but I do agree that anyone who voted for Brexit shouldn’t be allowed one. Dh thinks I shouldn’t say that out loudGrin

But I think if you are entitled to one why not apply. I’m entitled to an English one actually but I’m not bothered getting it

oh4forkssake · 11/04/2019 16:04

I do think anyone who voted for Brexit shouldn’t be allowed one though

Another one who agrees with this!

(Irish, living in UK, with two children who have had dual nationality since birth - pre-Brexit - and an English husband who can stand in a long queue and deal with it Grin)

LorelaiRoryEmily · 11/04/2019 16:06

@wannabebetter my mother is in the same position. Married to an Irishman and living here for 40 years and not entitled to an Irish passport unless she allows for citizenship and pays €950. That is outrageous

endofthelinefinally · 11/04/2019 16:12

Everyone has to pay for their citizenship application - wherever/whoever they are.
DH lived here for 20 years before we got married, worked full time for around 5 years. Still had to pay about £600 and that was over 30 years ago.
I don't think anyone expects to get citizenship for free.
Then pay for the passport, same as everyone else.

endofthelinefinally · 11/04/2019 16:15

I know someone who voted leave who is now complaining that my DC (living and working in Europe) have applied for, and got, their Irish passport, and her DC can't, because they have no Irish connection at all.
She thinks is isn't fair.

No sense of irony at all.

Isthisafreename · 11/04/2019 16:18

@Melancholymuffin - I’d be annoyed if I was Irish..

No. I'm not at all annoyed, except by the likes of Ian Paisley Jr who has encouraged his constituents to apply. He's completely anti-Irish, against GFA, etc.

Isthisafreename · 11/04/2019 16:21

@SilverySurfer - It's rather presumptuous of you to assume that Leavers would even want one. I think you'll find we are very happy with our own nationality and UK passport.

Given Ian Paisley Jr has been encouraging his constituents to get one, I'll think you'll find that's not the case.

cupofteaandcake · 11/04/2019 16:25

My DC have Irish grandparents and I have applied for them to go on the Irish Foreign Birth register this means they will be able to get Irish passports in the future. They were not old enough to vote and I feel it's irrelevant what I voted. There are thousands of people who had never set foot in Europe who have taken advantage of their ability to get an EU passport, eg Goans have been able to get Portugese passports, and then decided to settle in the UK. At least these Brits have a link to Ireland!

LorelaiRoryEmily · 11/04/2019 16:29

@endofthelinefinally I didn’t know that, thanks!
I have to say that’s funny your friend voting leave and now complaining that her dc aren’t entitled to Irish passports. Good enough for her.

AllTheFunAndGames · 11/04/2019 16:30

At the rate Brexit is going, the UK are never actually leaving the EU so no need to scramble for an Irish Passport. Ireland is not the least bit fussy. The Government are currently seeking to bring back an Irish citizen....or is that an 'alleged' terrorist ISIS bride. It doesn't matter what she did because she too holds an Irish Passport. #notfussy Wink

SwedishEdith · 11/04/2019 16:34

It's rather presumptuous of you to assume that Leavers would even want one. I think you'll find we are very happy with our own nationality and UK passport.

How naive.

NoUsernamesILike · 11/04/2019 16:36

I think it's funny that the some Unionists in the North spend most their time arguing how british they are, how they burn the Irish Flag, how they have hatred for Irish people yet they are applying and accepting and Irish Citizenship - actually baffles me

RedForShort · 11/04/2019 16:53

"whereas children born and raised in Ireland to non-Irish parents are being denied citizenship. "

Do you have a particular case in mind

As far as i know:

Anyone born on the island of Ireland to parents who have legally resided here for several (4 maybe - ?) years is an Irish citizen.

If you have a parent who is an Irish citizen (born here not by decent) you are an Irish citizen automatically.

If you have a grandparent who was born on the island of Ireland or a parent was granted Irish citizenship before you were born you are entitled to irish citizenship. But you will have to apply to be on the Foreign Births Register (costs about €300).

RedForShort · 11/04/2019 16:58

It's rather presumptuous of you to assume that Leavers would even want one. I think you'll find we are very happy with our own nationality and UK passport.

I can straight off the bat name three people who vote leave than are intending to get an Irish passport (their parents are Irish).

None of the seem to know why they are though - Which is why I asked earlier what the benefit is.

Know several others applying too, but don't know how they voted.

endofthelinefinally · 11/04/2019 17:03

In my DC's case it is fortuitous because they live and work in a European country and it just makes life easier to have a European passport.
I am extremely thankful that they are entitled to it and managed to get it before the stampede.

Quintella · 11/04/2019 17:07

I'm thinking of a particular case where a ten year old boy who was born in Ireland to Chinese parents (who have not managed to achieve citizenship/permanent residency) does not have citizenship and does not have the right to stay. He was born in Ireland and has never even been outside the country. And yet, moves are/were being made to have him deported with his mother. It just boggles my mind that Amanda from Ohio whose granny left Mayo in 1940 has an automatic right to a passport whereas, Eric an Irish born boy, doesn't.

www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2018/1017/1004756-deportation/

BackInTime · 11/04/2019 17:11

It's rather presumptuous of you to assume that Leavers would even want one. I think you'll find we are very happy with our own nationality and UK passport. Sorry to disappoint if you had visions of us with our noses pressed against the windowpane.

I know it plenty that voted leave but applied because they do not want to be inconvenienced when travelling to mainland Europe or because they own property in Spain and live some of the time there. One actually had no idea that Ireland was a separate country. Trust me hypocrisy is rife when it comes to this.