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samboal

There's been an increase in queries about Irish passports today

People have been contacting the Passport Service to ask if they are entitled to a passport following the Brexit result.

THE BREXIT REFERENDUM result has led to a jump in the number of queries about Irish passports today.

With fears growing over what the UK’s exit from the European Union could mean for British citizens, people have been searching their family trees to see if they have an Irish grandparent who would entitle them to an Irish passport.

Although there were some reports of queues outside passport offices in the Republic of Ireland, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) told TheJournal.ie that this was in fact incorrect.

But it did confirm that there was a spike in the number of queries about Irish passports since the Brexit result:

There has been an increase in queries in respect of entitlements to Irish passports today

It noted that passport offices in Dublin and Cork are operating as normal.

There was also a report that there were queues for Irish passport applications in the mainly Unionist Bangor area of Co Down. One local told TheJournal.ie that her mother-in-law witnessed a queue for applications at Bangor main street post office.

There was a huge spike in UK-based web searches for ‘getting an Irish passport’ after the Brexit result, according to Google:

The DFA noted that the entitlements to Irish citizenship/passports – including for those born on the island of Ireland and those claiming citizenship through parents or grandparents born in Ireland – are “unchanged as a result of the referendum”.

It added:

It is important that people who are interested in applying take time to get the full facts before they submit an application or to call the Passport Service/Embassies.

More information on passport and citizenship entitlement can be found on the department’s website. It has encouraged people to consult the website before seeking to apply for a passport.

It points out:

  • If you were born on the island of Ireland before 1 January 2005, you are entitled to be an Irish citizen.
  • If you were born on the island of Ireland on or after 1 January 2005, your right to Irish citizenship depends on your parents’ citizenship at the time of your birth and the residency history of one of your parents before your birth.

The passport service’s Twitter account received multiple requests for information on applying for an Irish passport today.

Many of the tweets were from people with parents or grandparents who had been born in Ireland, though some also asked if they could get a passport through a spouse – which isn’t possible.

The DFA said the Passport Service will “closely monitor the situation with respect to the impact on applications and the deployment of Passport Service staff”.

It will release the figures for applications in June at the end of this month.

At last count, there were 430,000 Irish-born people resident in Britain, and one in four people in Britain have Irish heritage, the DFA says.

The DFA added that is important to note that the Brexit process “will take some time and UK passport holders continue to enjoy the rights of EU citizens until a formal exit occurs”.

Under the Treaties, it is envisaged this is a process that will take at least two years.

So while there is no hurry with regards to getting an Irish passport, it looks like people are very eager to get on the case after today’s shock Brexit result.

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66 Comments
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    Mute Yeah Ok
    Favourite Yeah Ok
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:29 PM

    Any world class footballers trying to get one? If so, can we fast track the application before Sunday?

    357
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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:41 PM

    I’m pretty sure Gareth Bale is one of us

    109
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    Mute Micheal S. O' Ceilleachair
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:00 PM

    Wayne Rooney is definitely eligible. Irish grandparent!

    113
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    Mute Alan Cooke
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:08 PM

    Love that comment, Dublin and cork offices operating normally.
    Still an 8 week delay if you use the fast track service.
    A good or fantastic footballer wud have to wait for the World Cup qualifiers because Wally mooney and his union buddies have destroyed this public office as well.

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    Mute Gavin Farnan
    Favourite Gavin Farnan
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:08 PM

    We have a full team off world class footballers !

    86
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    Mute Tweed Cap
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:09 PM

    Forget about Wayne Rooney. When asked about Brexit he said he considered it to be the most important meal of the day.

    143
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    Mute ☀David Grogan✈
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:21 PM

    @Alan Cooke. I used the fast track service two months ago and I received my passport back within two weeks. I thought it was really efficient.

    68
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    Mute Charles Alexander
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    Jun 24th 2016, 8:35 PM

    @ Tweed Cap – Excelent

    10
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    Mute Richard Curtis
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    Jun 25th 2016, 12:40 AM

    I got my fast tracked passport in three weeks

    11
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    Mute Micheal Canavan
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    Jun 25th 2016, 4:15 PM

    His people from Newry

    1
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    Mute Barry Toffy
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:26 PM

    Grexit to follow Brexit..then…..Departugal; Italeave; Fruckoff; Czech out; Oustria; Finnish; Slovlong; Byegium; Germanonly

    286
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    Mute Juan Venegas
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    Jun 24th 2016, 10:39 PM

    You copied that from Setch Meyers, make your own material. #plagiarising

    29
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    Mute Richard Curtis
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    Jun 25th 2016, 12:41 AM

    Remania will stick around I’d imagine

    27
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    Mute Mr Phil Officer
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:37 PM

    Judging by the sheer number of people that are entitled to a passport under present requirements it could end up whereby more foreign born people could hold Irish passports than actual Irish people. We should take applications on a case by case basis, we don’t want to be handing out golden tickets to just anyone.

    179
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    Mute Ned Shaw
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:02 PM

    They are like golden tickets though. Remember that British fella was held hostage in the Middle East about a decade ago. All forms of negotiations failed so they turned the the Irish Granny rule to claim he was an Irish citizen. Fella was never to Ireland in his life. Passport was fast tracked but the fella got murdered regardless.

    59
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    Mute Ned Shaw
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:03 PM
    24
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    Mute Peter Fechter
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:06 PM

    Yes..i remember that.

    13
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    Mute molly coddled
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:47 PM

    I remember Ned. Poor man got beheaded irrespective of which passport he held, his passport was issued in absentia and the tawhid and jihad Islamic extremists knew this.

    21
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    Mute Alan Lawlor
    Favourite Alan Lawlor
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    Jun 24th 2016, 8:36 PM

    Brian Keenan is originally a Protestant from East Belfast. At the time of his abduction in 1986 in Beirut he held both British and Irish passports.
    The Thatcher govt refused to negotiate with the jihadist terrorists and left him languish in captivity.
    The Irish govt intervened and eventually secured his release in 1990. He now lives in Dublin

    92
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    Mute David Murphey
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:43 PM

    Nordie Prods applying for Irish passports.

    What a strange sityashun.

    173
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    Mute Leo Powers
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:45 PM

    Why? A nordie prod has as much right to call themselves Irish as anybody else on the island. I know many that do and fine people they are. Don’t mix up the valued protestant history across this island with the fully synthetic loyalist one.

    113
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    Mute Alan Lawlor
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    Jun 24th 2016, 8:22 PM

    Leo – yes, Northern Protestants have a right to an ROI passport and most people are entirely happy with that.
    But you will find that very few would take up this right.
    While they may identify as Irish, their sense of Irish identity is rarely the same as someone from ROI. Their Irishness does not extend to any sense of affinity to a Dublin government or being part of a Republic (as opposed to a Monarchy).

    Having said that, their Irishness is not all that different to that felt by 90+% of this island pre-1916, whose identity was being part of UK, with a culture just slightly different from English – and few with any strong desire to break away from the UK.

    However, within 5 years, that view had radically changed following the efforts of a few rebels in Dublin over an Easter weekend.

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    Mute Maire Ui Riain
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    Jun 25th 2016, 12:22 AM

    You obviously don’t know about the unionists kids who were applying for Irish passports to get free university fees in Scotland until the Scottish government clamped down

    13
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    Mute Martin Fahy
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    Jun 25th 2016, 6:41 AM

    No Alan.
    A huge amount take up the Irish passport for travel purposes.
    Any young Northerner (whatever their background) backpacking around the world generally travels with both passports because Ireland has different agreements with many countries especially in Central and South America and it is often much easier to get a visa with an Irish passport than a UK one. Likewise they can often get into a Commonwealth country easier than we can.

    9
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    Mute Paddy Diskin
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    Jun 25th 2016, 9:11 AM

    Theobald Wolfe Tone, James Napper Tandy, Henry & John Sheares, Isaac Butt, Charles Stewart Parnell, etc., etc.
    All Protestant , all Irish Nationalist heros.
    First bible, Book of Common Prayer in Gaelic in the early 17th century. Catholic priests at the time complained that there were no Catholic equivalents.
    Protestants have a Gaelic heritage too.
    I welcome every application by a Northern Protestant for an Irish passport.

    4
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    Mute conri
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    Jun 25th 2016, 2:31 PM

    @Paddy, I second that but would also like a list drawn up of fools that we would deport, starting with the halfwits you see making stupid comments here.

    2
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    Mute lez ferguson
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:51 PM

    What a laughter it would be to see a unionist with a Irish passport

    75
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    Mute Ger Comings
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:52 PM

    There are many, son

    47
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    Mute marti mac
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:06 PM

    Tell them to feck off n keep their british ones

    52
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    Mute Joe Harbison
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:23 PM

    I’ve met a few of them in the past. If you are travelling in the Middle East or some parts of Africa is much safer and less hassle to have an Irish passport.

    48
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    Mute lez ferguson
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:53 PM

    Then they are bigots

    20
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    Mute Donal O Neil
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    Jun 24th 2016, 9:25 PM

    Seems some Israeli chaps also managed to get Irish passports and did a bit of a hit on some chap some time back . Anyone can get a passport

    16
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    Mute Maire Ui Riain
    Favourite Maire Ui Riain
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    Jun 25th 2016, 12:26 AM

    You’ll find out soon that every staunch Unionist up in the North will take everything they can to get as much as they can….including an Irish passport when it suits. Funny some of the staunchest Republicans at the turn of the century were Presbyterian and Protestants until that lunatic Carson came along.

    16
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    Mute Maire Ui Riain
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    Jun 25th 2016, 12:27 AM

    Yes they are bigots…..

    5
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    Mute Peter Fechter
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:30 PM

    Wait til word gets around the central barrios of Lagos …

    66
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    Mute Ned Shaw
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:53 PM

    The Console scandal came at a great time for all involved, not much talk of it today.

    50
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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:53 PM

    Keep a close eye on releases from Merrion St. Days like this are “a good day to bury bad news”
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/1823120.stm

    20
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    Mute Ned Shaw
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:43 PM

    Would everyone please calm the f(uk down.

    44
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    Mute mickmc
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:11 PM

    I know one Irish born guy living in the uk for years who said on Facebook this afternoon he must reapply for his Irish passport. Obviously has a British one now. I love to be able to tell him he made is bed he can lye on it now but unfortunate he’ll get it.

    38
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    Mute Pat Gorman
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:32 PM

    A lot of people would prefer an Irish passport over an English passport.
    The Irish passport does not require you to swear allegiance to a bandy-legged and in-bred German family who happen to live in Buckingham Palace.
    Alias…The Windsors.

    37
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    Mute Pat Gorman
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:45 PM

    P.S.
    Real German name:
    The name was changed from ” Saxe-Coburg und Gotha ” to the English sounding Windsor in 1917 because of anti-German sentiment in the British Empire.
    .
    Windsor was a mere castle up to that.
    And you think the Arabs are the only ones who change sides!

    31
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    Mute Dain Bramage
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    Jun 25th 2016, 1:52 AM

    That’s Fůckingham Palace to you Pat.

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    Mute Al Ca
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:35 PM

    How much are they going for?….lol

    32
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    Mute Guybrush Threepwood
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:51 PM

    Wouldn’t be too sure about people searching their family trees. I’d bet on it practically all are from the North.

    28
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    Mute J.Hanley #IRExit
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    Jun 25th 2016, 2:46 PM

    No. My partner was contacted today by his English relatives for the documentation of their Irish father.

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    Mute Ger Comings
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:42 PM

    50% of our beef, 60% cheese, and 85% poultry – is sold to the UK, who have today started looking for other sources. A lot of sad farmers, in Ireland today…

    24
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    Mute Ned Shaw
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:52 PM

    Don’t worry, they’ll be able to get some of the 2000 Morgan Stanley jobs that are coming.

    49
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    Mute Guybrush Threepwood
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:53 PM

    Nothing has changed. It will take months for even the discussion of trade will begin…which might take an awfully long time.

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    Mute David Murphey
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    Jun 24th 2016, 6:57 PM

    A lot has changed.

    Irish products have become 10% more expensive.

    42% of our tourism comes from Britain. Bad news for anyone in the tourist industry.

    26
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    Mute Ned Shaw
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:05 PM

    I noticed a 42% decline of tourist drinking in Temple Bar about a half hour ago.

    Place was hopping, would love a good pint of Guinness (not to be found in Temple Bar though)

    38
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    Mute Lorem Ipsum
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:42 PM

    Then let’s slash our VAT and corporation tax even more. I don’t know why SME’s pay any at all

    8
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    Mute Lily
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    Jun 24th 2016, 7:34 PM

    Time to get a uk passport too? Some of us have English ancestry.

    21
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    Mute David Hefner
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    Jun 24th 2016, 8:12 PM

    Ive got one for sale, buggered off to Canada 10 years ago and got a Canadian one.

    9
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    Mute Brendan Crowe
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    Jun 24th 2016, 8:12 PM

    You can get an Irish passport through marriage. They need to fulfill the following: To claim citizenship by marriage, you must meet the following conditions: You must be married to the Irish citizen for at least 3 years.You must have had a period of one year’s continuous “reckonable residence” in the island of Ireland immediately before the date of your application.

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Jun 24th 2016, 8:59 PM

    Brendan , not according to Irish passports , you can’t get an Irish passport through marriage .. you must have an Irish parent or grandparent. .

    15
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    Mute Mike Cantwell
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    Jun 24th 2016, 9:21 PM

    Are you joking Susie take a look around the streets

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    Mute Brendan Crowe
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    Jun 24th 2016, 9:32 PM

    Thats correct if you are not resident here. They are omitting if you were married to an Irish citizen and moved here for a year you would. I have a Polish wife.. We know this :). Taken from citizens.ie “if you are the spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen who is applying for Irish citizenship, you must meet the following conditions: You must be married to or in a recognised civil partnership* with the Irish citizen for at least 3 years You must have had a period of 1 year’s continuous reckonable residence - see below – in the island of Ireland immediately before the date of your application, and during the 4 years preceding that, have had a total reckonable residence in the island of Ireland amounting to 2 years. Altogether you must have a total of 3 years reckonable residence out of the last 5 years”

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Jun 24th 2016, 11:20 PM

    Mike, how do you know they all have passports ?

    2
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    Mute Maire Ui Riain
    Favourite Maire Ui Riain
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    Jun 25th 2016, 12:29 AM

    Mike is correct a friend f mind s Chinese and she married a Dub in a registry office to get citizenship

    5
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    Mute Dermot O'Reilly
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    Jun 26th 2016, 11:14 PM

    American tourists numbers will be down substantially next year because they fear a pen influx of Muslims to Ireland! England will ban Muslim immigration!

    5
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    Mute Keith Moran
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    Jun 24th 2016, 10:32 PM

    Well that first sentence is bull has anyone tried contacting passport office

    5
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    Mute Dermot O'Reilly
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    Jun 26th 2016, 11:12 PM

    If Ireland stays in the EU we will become a Muslim Country within 10 to 15 Years if not earlier!

    Our Government should act responsibly and ensure that Muslims in Ireland only get a temporary visa!

    4
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    Mute Jim Devine
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    Jun 25th 2016, 12:15 PM

    Will the rules for Irish passports be amended to allow spouses of Irish born citizens to obtain an Irish passport without residency in Ireland?
    Stupid situation that marriage is not considered an appropriate institution to qualify on its own for Irish citizenship. For those of us with UK spouses it is an issue that needs resolved.

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    Mute Jeffre Tomred
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    Jun 26th 2016, 2:06 AM

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