Can I claim Irish Citizenship through decent?

DefaultUser

I gather this may be a common question at the moment with Brexit happening.

Both me and my mum are wondering if we can claim Irish Citizenship through decent. My Great-Grandmother was from Dublin (Not sure if she was born there or moved there at the age of 1). She however moved to England where my Grandmother was born just before Irish Independence in 1922 and thus to the best of my knowledge never applied for Irish Citizenship when Independence did happen as they were living in England. My Great-Great-Grandfather however did however continue to live in Dublin and automatically became a citizen in 1922.

Is either of us allowed to claim citizenship through decent and what documents would I need to apply for this?

Aeternum

I think first you would need proof of your Great-Grandmother being born in Ireland. Your mother could register for citizenship by registering in the Foreign Births Register - but I think the fact that she hadn't registered by the time you were born means that you can not claim it.

I could be wrong - I got my information from here http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/WP11000024

DefaultUser

I will try and get an idea of where she was born its I have heard conflicting reports of her place of birth. If I do find out that she was born outside Ireland can my mum still claim citizenship on the basis that her grandmother (my Great-Grandfather) was considered a citizen at the time of the founding Irish Free State?

FISMA.

The way I understand Irish citizenship is:

(1) You are an Irish citizen, no matter the location of your birth, if one of your parents is Irish.

(2) You can claim descent through grandparents.

After that, it is over.

A friend of mine with Irish grandparents had a family after securing an Irish passport. He's now an Irish citizen, the children are not.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

DefaultUser wrote: »

I gather this may be a common question at the moment with Brexit happening.

Both me and my mum are wondering if we can claim Irish Citizenship through decent. My Great-Grandmother was from Dublin (Not sure if she was born there or moved there at the age of 1). She however moved to England where my Grandmother was born just before Irish Independence in 1922 and thus to the best of my knowledge never applied for Irish Citizenship when Independence did happen as they were living in England. My Great-Great-Grandfather however did however continue to live in Dublin and automatically became a citizen in 1922.

Is either of us allowed to claim citizenship through decent and what documents would I need to apply for this?

Your Mother might be able to claim as long as your great-grandmother (her grandmother) was born in Ireland and a copy of her birth certificate can be obtained.

For you, though, I think it's one generation too far.

DefaultUser

Cheers, who is it I contact to find a Birth Certificate?

With my mum is it the case though regardless if her grandmother was a Irish citizen or not unless she was born in what is now Ireland she is not entitled to claim Irish Nationality?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

DefaultUser wrote: »

Cheers, who is it I contact to find a Birth Certificate?

With my mum is it the case though regardless if her grandmother was a Irish citizen or not unless she was born in what is now Ireland she is not entitled to claim Irish Nationality?

It's citizenship, not nationality and it doesn;t matter where you Mum was born.

That would be here once you have all the relevant into.

https://www.birthsdeathsmarriages.ie/certificates/birth-certificate/

Dandelion6

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

It's citizenship, not nationality

It's both. Their Irish passport will say Nationality: Irish just like anyone else's.

FISMA.

DefaultUser wrote: »

With my mum is it the case though regardless if her grandmother was a Irish citizen or not unless she was born in what is now Ireland she is not entitled to claim Irish Nationality?

Your mother should be able to claim Irish citizenship through descent of her grandmother.

However, you will not be able to claim that citizenship through you mother, if/when she becomes a citizen.

Again, I'm no expert, that's just the way it was explained to me.

Bigbok

If u were good st rugby I would have a passport thrown at u and a bag of cash

DefaultUser

I can't play Rugby sorry, I am okish at Darts does that count?

I am getting a place of birth for my great grandmother, I have had conflicting reports of her place of birth which is rather annoying. If I do find out my great-grandmother was born outside what is now the Irish Republic but moved there at the age of 1 so nevertheless would have met the criteria for citizenship at the time of the Irish Free State which was something her father did become in 1922 does that disqualify my mum from citizenship because my great-grandmother wasn't born in Ireland?

jackinthemix94

DefaultUser wrote: »

I can't play Rugby sorry, I am okish at Darts does that count?

I am getting a place of birth for my great grandmother, I have had conflicting reports of her place of birth which is rather annoying. If I do find out my great-grandmother was born outside what is now the Irish Republic but moved there at the age of 1 so nevertheless would have met the criteria for citizenship at the time of the Irish Free State which was something her father did become in 1922 does that disqualify my mum from citizenship because my great-grandmother wasn't born in Ireland?

Yup. Has to be have been born in Ireland, stated on the birth certificate. I believe if it's Northern Ireland you're grand though (I got citizenship through my grandmother who was born in Armagh after 1922).

P_1

DefaultUser wrote: »

I can't play Rugby sorry, I am okish at Darts does that count?

I am getting a place of birth for my great grandmother, I have had conflicting reports of her place of birth which is rather annoying. If I do find out my great-grandmother was born outside what is now the Irish Republic but moved there at the age of 1 so nevertheless would have met the criteria for citizenship at the time of the Irish Free State which was something her father did become in 1922 does that disqualify my mum from citizenship because my great-grandmother wasn't born in Ireland?

See if you can find an entry for her on either the 1901 or 1911 Census. You can view them for free on the NAI website. That'll give you a county of birth which may help narrow things down for you.

DefaultUser

Problem with the Census is the 1901 and 1911 one say different things. I am going to give the Embassy a call to check although given the uncertainty with Brexit I don't think I am the only one making an enquiry and given the way things are going I may end up with a Scotland Passport from my dad's side as well very soon.