Can anyone give me a clear answer about Irish passports please

[Thekormachameleon]

I'm driving myself mad trying to find a clear answer - I am eligible to claim Irish citizenship via my Irish born grandparents - do I need to claim citizenship via the foreign birth register before I can apply for an Irish passport or can I just get the passport ?

You will need to go on the register first.

https://www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/citizenship/born-abroad/registering-a-foreign-birth/

You need to claim citizenship first, I did it recently and got my passport this year

You must be entered on the registry of foreign births. Any one with a gp born on the island of Ireland qualifies.
You must get the gp birth and marriage cert original copies and a notified copy of gp passport.
Then one of your parents ( child of the gp u are using) same 3 docs.
Then same for you..plus signed application form and 4 pp photos x2 of which must be signed by the same person from the approved list.
Can't remember the fee but a few hundred euro. This process then can take 6 to 12 months to process. Once you recieve your certificate of foreign birth registration you can then apply for pp. You must submit the cert plus the long form of your own birth cert once again.
The irish govt has expanded the capacity of the FB registration office to speed up processing times.
Once you get your passport try to learn about irish history and culture and visit!
It is a privilege to have an EU pp!

Thanks so much for the clear answers
I'll apply and then get my passport
@WestCorkGal I've been brought up with Irish culture, I've visited 3/4 times a year for the last 40 years and was even Irish dancing world champion so this is just the last part of the puzzle

There's nothing like it when the Garda at passport control say " welcome home" after you land!
Go for it

@WestCorkGal how wonderful ❤️❤️

My adult kids applied to go on FBR 2 years ago, it took just under a year for them to get their certificates. They haven’t applied for passports yet, just general inertia, I am sure they will in time.

I got my Irish passport in summer 2022, it took only a few weeks to process. I have always felt an infinity with my dads birth country, visited a lot as children to see grandparents, and I have continued with my family, to see my uncle and his family, so was lovely to get my passport.

Is it the same process if it is a parent, rather than a grandparent, who was born in Ireland?

No, if your parent was born in Ireland, you are automatically an Irish citizen and can apply directly for a passport.

You will still need yours and your parent’s birth, marriage certificates etc, but don’t need to apply to FBR first.

Thank you @Sophiesaph24

Does anyone know if marriage certificates are required if you are looking to apply down the male line?
I am eligible for an Irish passport through my paternal grandfather born in Northern Ireland.
I have birth and death certificates for both my father and grandfather.
My maiden name matches their surname.
I do not have a marriage certificate for my grandfather.
Is it necessary?

I needed to get my grandparents' marriage certificate and my parents' and their divorce decree (as well as birth and death certificates for my grandad and birth for my dad, plus a notarised copy of his passport). Was easy to order certificates both in the U.K. and Ireland. I used my mums copy of the divorce decree.