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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Are there any cons to applying for an Irish passport?

157 replies

battenburg100 · 05/01/2019 10:54

Hi
With Brexit so close now, I'm in a dilemma whether or not to apply for an Irish passport. I'm hesitant as although I can see the benefits of having one, alongside my British passport, there are bound to be negatives too - but I'm not sure what they may be, so I would be grateful for any mumsnetters feedback....

Background info - I was born in the UK and have a British passport - my mum was born in Northern Ireland. My sister who lives in France was worried about her employment status there, so applied for and received her Irish passport. She now has dual nationality which has pleased her French employers, but what could be the consequences, particularly negative ones, of me having both types of passport living here in the UK?

OP posts:
youwouldthink · 05/01/2019 15:26

As the passport office staff are paid through our taxes perhaps we should have some say.
If we are being honest the majority of those applying would never have considered an Irish passport.
My point was simply that this hysteria has caused huge problems here and if we are being specific my DB who waited 11 weeks for renewal due to these delays was very close to not taking a final trip with his DC.
I'm not looking for a fight here.
Those who are eligible to apply for an Irish passport can do so, but the eligibilty will not be changing before March when Brexit comes into effect (or not), so waiting to see what happens surely makes sense.
I have worked in tourism for 30 years and the ongoing problems this is causing is apparent daily.
Travelling to the EU should the leave take place should be no different than currently travelling from UK to Cyprus, Turkey, Hungary etc..Mass hysteria never solved anything

trojanpony · 05/01/2019 15:28

I have two passports one of which is Irish.

It’s a total ball ache getting it renewed.
The other one is a walk in the park...

treaclesoda · 05/01/2019 15:30

Eh? You can renew an Irish passport by ticking a few boxes online. Or at least that's what they keep saying in their tweets...

treaclesoda · 05/01/2019 15:31

Ah, sorry. Maybe the online thing is only if you live in Ireland.

SusanneLinder · 05/01/2019 15:33

lordvaderyourfather , am not English and don't have an English accent.
youwouldthink just for clarification purposes, Cyprus and Hungary are part of the EU.

Shitmewithyourrhythmstick · 05/01/2019 15:36

If you want to campaign to change Irish citizenship law youwouldthink, knock yourself out. But you can do that without pretending you know what's going to happen if the UK leaves.

Peridot1 · 05/01/2019 15:37

Shitmewith - I think I meant current Irish passport holders and those applying for first passports for babies etc. Those living in Ireland.

I’m Irish but live in Uk.

I’m currently trying to decide whether to get a British passport! DS has a Irish passport as was born in Ireland. British DH was keen for him to get a British passport but I never saw the need. Kept pointing out they were both EU passports and that wouldn’t change.

About to start the process of getting a British passport for DS.

LadyGregorysToothbrush · 05/01/2019 15:38

If you weren't born and raised in Ireland, and have an English accent you shouldn't be getting the passport. I think it's ridiculous all the English suddenly wanting to benefit from their ancestry. Your parents/grandparents turned their back on Ireland

ODFOD

Shitmewithyourrhythmstick · 05/01/2019 15:42

Yes, the people responsible for the economic and structural factors that pushed so many Irish away from the country to make a living are definitely the ordinary Irish. And obviously no Irish person has ever emigrated to anywhere other than England.

LaurieMarlow · 05/01/2019 15:42

If you weren't born and raised in Ireland, and have an English accent you shouldn't be getting the passport. I think it's ridiculous all the English suddenly wanting to benefit from their ancestry. Your parents/grandparents turned their back on If you weren't born and raised in Ireland, and have an English accent you shouldn't be getting the passport. I think it's ridiculous all the English suddenly wanting to benefit from their ancestry. Your parents/grandparents turned their back on Ireland

Oh please. Lobby your government if you feel so strongly.

And what if the applicants aren't English? I expect it's just the English you have a chip on your should about.

Babysgotyoureyes · 05/01/2019 15:44

'..the troubles were always an internal UK civil war..'🤔 ???
Not sure that all Irish citizens would agree with you on that one, Somerville.

Snoz · 05/01/2019 15:51

Only downside is that you're just a plastic Paddy.

Somerville · 05/01/2019 15:52

How you mean, baby - did I express myself clumsily? I'm Irish, from Derry and don't really like the term 'Troubles' - I think civil conflict is more accurate. But the definition of 'the Troubles' is the ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland during the late 20th C. Despite my personal view that the north of Ireland is morally and rightfully part of Ireland rather than UK.

Inniu · 05/01/2019 15:57

I think you would be mad not to. €85 is a cheap insurance policy against loss of rights of EU citizenship.

I am a dual US/Irish citizen. I got my children’s US citizenship sorted as soon as Trump said he was running for President because I figured he would moving to the US much more difficult for non US citizens and it is better to keep your options open.

Orangecushions · 05/01/2019 16:04

Can someone explain the steps to get an Irish passport, please

My DM was born in Dublin, but has a British Passport .

Do I qualify for an Irish passport and, if so, what do I need to do?

How do DC (now adults) get an Irish passport? Their paternal grandfather was also Irish (Cork). Not sure if he retained his Irish passport, but it means that grandparents on both sides have Irish connections.

Babysgotyoureyes · 05/01/2019 16:07

No offence intended ,Somerville. I am also Irish and from a border county in the Republic, but by suggesting the troubles were an internal UK conflict you are disregarding the rest of the country and those of us along the border counties who have been affected by same. There are those who may see it rather differently than a simple generalisation of an internal civil war. As for your argument that it's a UK civil war, I don't agree. Also you can't just limit it to the late 20th century. Sectarianism, occupation,human rights violations and terrorism goes back much further than that.

JennyHolzersGhost · 05/01/2019 16:07

First I would suggest that you read the thread, Orange, as it contains the information you need.

lemonface · 05/01/2019 16:12

Can my kids get an Irish passport instead of UK? There's run out soon and they are eligible or do they have to have dual nationality?

Somerville · 05/01/2019 16:14

Of course it the conflict goes back further, Babys I was talking more narrowly about the definition of the Troubles. I actually agree with everything you just wrote so I must have expressed myself clumsily upthread to have appeared to have a position not close to yours. Smile

The anecdote I told is one that I've heard on here and IRL - some people really do think that the two 'sides' in the Troubles were the British government and the Irish government and that Irish pp holders could be called up to fight for the IRA. Shock Confused

trojanpony · 05/01/2019 16:19

turned their back

Is this a joke? Do expect people to live on fresh air and an EU passport????
This is what the historic unemployment rates look like
sdw.ecb.europa.eu/quickview.do?SERIES_KEY=139.AME.A.IRL.1.0.0.0.ZUTN&periodSortOrder=ASC

And those numbers are after thousands from every generation emigrated for work.
Half my aunts, uncles and cousins had to go to the America’s, Ireland and Australia to earn a living - none of them wanted to leave but there was no work.

Babysgotyoureyes · 05/01/2019 16:19

Think we're on the same wavelength alright, SomervilleWink.

MarDhea · 05/01/2019 16:20

Can someone explain the steps to get an Irish passport, please

The Irish embassy in London had a pretty clear guide on their website https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/great-britain/passports/how-to-apply-for-a-passport/

Shitmewithyourrhythmstick · 05/01/2019 16:31

Orangecushions you're Irish already but your kids would need to register. I don't know how old they are, but as you mention they're adults, if either of them are planning children they should ensure they register before that. If a person has an Irish born grandparent and acquires Irish citizenship before having a child, that child can also register as Irish. Otherwise the Irish citizenship stops with the grandchild of the person born in Ireland.

Original poster
battenburg100 · 05/01/2019 16:32

Thanks so much everyone for all your replies to my original post - some great advice here and I will think about it for a bit longer before making my decision to apply or not.

OP posts:
Orangecushions · 05/01/2019 17:21

@Shitmewithyourrhythmstick (great name) and @MarDhea

Thank you

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