Passport as gaelge

I've posted this video before, so I'll do it again because using the Irish translation of your name can be quite precarious...;)
"Micheál Ó Súilleabháin is ainm dom."

Is é mo thuraim, go bhfuil faighin ar abhas ar fád ag do bean chéile. Oh, an craic a bhí agaimse leis sin...duirt sí nach raibh sí abalta a chreidimh cád a bhí ag tarlú "síos ansin", now bhféidir is é do bod, y'know, atá níos lú na mo méirín beag...

This is official language. You will be fine once you repeat this.

Buachaillin wrote: »

We have all heard the story of the fella who got his passport changed to the Irish language version in order to avoid the taxman / immigration etc.
Anybody got any real life experience with this - is it straight forward / what is involved. Experiencing some immigration problems abroad and am considering every route!!!!

I put my passport in the Irish when I was in my late teens, but after I had visited the States once. When I presented my new Irish passport to the US immigration guy in Dublin airport he was able to tell me my name in English from his previous records so in this case anyway there must have been some numerical link between each passport.

* I did not, I should add given this context, put my name in the Irish to avoid anybody but rather because I liked, and now love, Irish and at the time I thought it was embarrassing for me to be using a name the English gave my family when my family has its own name which has a long, meaningful and proud history. Edward Said's Orientalism, where he points out the coloniser's need to control the representation of the native via changing surnames, placenames etc was my turning point.

I changed the name on my passport to English as it has caused me hassle in the past. It doesn't match up with my birth cert name as I was born in London and was registered with an English version of my name.

El Siglo wrote: »

I've posted this video before, so I'll do it again because using the Irish translation of your name can be quite precarious...;)
"Micheál Ó Súilleabháin is ainm dom."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC7MZSkEQEg

That "Micheál Ó Súilleabháin is ainm dom" (05.11) scene had people in tears when I saw it in Cineworld. Easily the most poignant scene in the entire movie.

Grrrr - I can just hear a certain type of person go mad at the word 'movie' instead of 'film'.

El Siglo wrote: »

But I said "video" and not "movie".

I too hate the word "movie", it's such an 'American-ism'.

How did that happen.

You quoted that before it was even posted ! ! !

I get my tax done on the phone in less than 5 minutes every year. Everything gets done quicker through Irish in this country, fab! Even got out of a fine before as there was nobody available to talk to me about it in Irish, has served me unbelievably well. A true gift.

Buachaillin wrote: »

Did you have to prove that you used your gaeilge name for 2 years prior to applying as another poster suggests? That would prove difficult for me.

I did this 5 years ago when I had to get a passport for a 4th year class trip. I grew up going to the gaelteacht for 6 weeks every summer and just wanted my name in Irish. What the other guy said about needing 2 years proof thta you've been using it is somewhat true.

I put my name down as Irish on the passport form, initially had a lot of hassle saying I couldnt get it because I hadnt been using it officially (i was only 15!!) for anything other than been known as my irish name in the gaelteacht and school. After my dad got onto them and gave a spiel about it being my legal right to use the Irish eqivalent of my name( dunno how true that is) they eventually gave me a temporary passport for a year.
On it was my Irish name on the picture page. and on the last paper page my name was printed in english under the heading birth cert name.
I was told I'd have to show proof of using the name when I was to reapply for a new passport.
But reaplied again after 2 years and they hadnt a clue what I was on about when i said I have proof of use from the tax office(id gotten a job at this stage) and letter from the bank and school. And they jus reissued the passport in Irish with no hassle at all! :rolleyes:

I have a habit of reanimating old threads...

I applied for my new passport last week, and got a phonecall from a lady in the passport office saying that I need two sources of proof that I've been using my Irish name for two years, and she returned the form to me.

Anyone recommend a way around this for me? I sent an email to the language commissioner so I'm hoping he'll be of some help.

tbreath wrote: »

I'm chomh chomh chomh annoyed with these new passport rules.

I went up to the passport office in Cork today to apply for a new passport (my old one expired in Feb). I planned to get it my Irish name which I've been using for years (albeit not in a very official capacity).

As proof of usage I gave my driver's license, bank statement, flipping AA membership cards (all as gaeilge) and even a flipping DEED POLL from 2009 and I was denied it. The oldest documentation I had was 23 months old and they need to be a min of 2yrs old to be accepted. Now, due to time constraints, I have to apply for a ten year passport in a name I never use and no longer really identify myself with. Work, friends, the whole shebang is in Irish.

I'm not a anal Gaeilgeoir, it's more about cultural identity, but I resent these new regulations which, as far as I know, withdraw my constitutional right to use my Irish name.

If anybody has any advice on this I'd appreciate. I'm in a "talk-to-Joe" state of mind.

Go raibh míle

Cad is ainm duit? Breathnach?