Becoming Irish

[BigNick]

I became an Irish citizen this week! I got the letter today, dated Tuesday. Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, which I will celebrate with something other than Guinness (which I hate).

This is my Brexit plan B (I'm a Brit and I want to continue living in the European Union with all of the rights of an EU citizen), but it's also kind of cool. I didn't have to renounce my British citizenship.

The really cool thing is that you only need one grandparent who was born anywhere in the island of Ireland. Both of my father's parents were born there when all of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom: my grandfather in County Donegal (in what is now in the Republic of Ireland) and my grandmother somewhere in what is now (British) Northern Ireland. I claimed nationality via my grandfather as /a/ it looked a bit better applying for Irish citizenship via someone who was born in the modern country, and /b/ he and I share a middle name, which makes it look more plausible. I decided not to add a note to my application pointing out that when my grandfather moved to England, he was active in the Orange Order and apparently took delight in blackballing any Catholics who applied to join the golf club of which he was a member.

I understand that the US is not keen on dual nationality but that in practice a "don't ask, don't tell" policy applies. So I thought this might be useful for anyone of Irish descent who is thinking of retiring to Europe.

 

[jim584672]

Congratulations!

Do you know if great-great or great-great-great grandparents count? I think I have one back in the family tree somewhere.

 

[BigNick]

Nope, grandparents (or parents) only.

However, I believe that having a third cousin once removed whose plane got diverted to Shannon once is enough to qualify to take part in certain towns' St. Patrick's Day parades.

 

[Meadbh]

Congratulations!

 

[MRG]

Nope, grandparents (or parents) only.

Too bad.

Congratulations to you.

 

[Teacher Terry]

My DIL has dual citizenship and lives in the US. I don't think it is discouraged here.

 

[tulak]

My DIL has dual citizenship and lives in the US. I don't think it is discouraged here.

+1

Almost everyone in my immediate family has a dual citizenship and we never had any issues.

I noticed that recently we were asked about citizenships when creating an account. I think it was for some of the high yield savings accounts we opened. That was new. Before that, nobody ever asked.

 

[kcowan]

I always thought everybody was Irish on St Paddys Day? What are they checking passports/birth certificates now?

 

[Aerides]

I have an EU (British) passport and am now also a US citizen. The US always allowed dual citizenship, it was usually the origin countries that got bent out of shape. When we first moved here, the UK required you to renounce citizenship if you took up elsewhere. (80's 90's etc.) But now they let you keep both.

But anyway, congrats! Does the citizenship have any requirements about residency or just, you're Irish enough come and go as you please?

 

[NW-Bound]

I just looked up the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance of the US. Nothing explicit here about maintaining your native citizenship, but in the case of wars, you have already chosen side. That's my understanding.

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."

 

[Fedup]

You can have dual citizenship except when you need top clearance. But somebody told me they were able to, so who knows?

 

[nico08]

I am submitting my application for Irish citizenship tomorrow. All of my grandparents were born in Ireland. I rely on the ACA for health insurance during ER. I was diagnosed with cancer, so I can't take risks with health insurance and access to health care. Ireland has universal health care. So if the ACA goes, then I have to go.

Can you think of any other alternatives I may have, if I want to try and stay in the US after the elimination of the ACA? I can't go back to work, I am allergic to it lol.

 

[Alan]

Congratulations BigNick!!

The USA has no issues with dual citizenship, there is even a section about it in my US passport. Basically, you cannot expect help from a US embassy while in a country of which you are also a citizen, and you can be conscripted into the military of either country in which you are resident.

 

[Meadbh]

I am submitting my application for Irish citizenship tomorrow. All of my grandparents were born in Ireland. I rely on the ACA for health insurance during ER. I was diagnosed with cancer, so I can't take risks with health insurance and access to health care. Ireland has universal health care. So if the ACA goes, then I have to go.

Can you think of any other alternatives I may have, if I want to try and stay in the US after the elimination of the ACA? I can't go back to work, I am allergic to it lol.

Ireland has basic health care for all citizens resident there, but I would strongly advise you to buy private insurance as well.

 

[Alan]

Ireland has basic health care for all citizens resident there, but I would strongly advise you to buy private insurance as well.

Private Health insurance companies may very well not cover pre-existing conditions, in fact I doubt a person in Ireland can turn around and sign up for HI as soon as they get diagnosed with cancer.

Of course I don't actually know, just going on what I've found to be the case in the UK.

 

[braumeister]

Congrats, Big Nick. That's a wonderful perk you have there.

I looked into it a number of years ago, but only my great-grandmother was actually born in Ireland and I seriously doubt she ever recorded the birth of my grandmother on the Foreign Birth Register, so I'm out of luck.

Still, my mother's side of the family is 100% Irish so I have a warm feeling toward the Emerald Isle.
But my father's side is 100% German, so the same applies there.
Fortunately, both sides are compatible with a pint or a liter of good beer, so there's no problem.

As to dual citizenship, when I was in the military I had a good friend who had been born in Cuba and he had a TS clearance so that wasn't a problem.

 

[Meadbh]

Private Health insurance companies may very well not cover pre-existing conditions, in fact I doubt a person in Ireland can turn around and sign up for HI as soon as they get diagnosed with cancer.

Of course I don't actually know, just going on what I've found to be the case in the UK.

Private health insurance in Ireland is regulated. As far as I know there are no exclusions for predicting conditions, though there may be a waiting period for coverage of preexisting conditions. The policy you choose is based on the services you would like to have covered, such as a private room, specialty hospital, etc.

This might be a good place to start:

Private health insurance

From the website:

"Open enrolment
At present, health insurance companies must accept anyone who wishes to join, subject to any applicable waiting periods before cover takes effect, regardless of age, sex or health status - this is known as "open enrolment". Restricted membership schemes must accept everyone who is qualified to join."

VHI is the oldest health insurance company in Ireland. Check out their website and play with the policy selection tool. I'm very familiar with VHI because this is the insurance my parents had (plan B), and boy did they get their money's worth out of it in their later years!

https://www.vhi.ie/home

 

[Ed B]

I having romantic musing of living in Ireland as I have a high percentage of Irish ancestry, but family lore and long held religious allegiance on this side of the pond would suggest I am Ulster Scot or Scots-Irish as its known in the Southern States.

One item on my wife's bucket list is to visit Ireland even though she is about 1/2 Scandinavian (Norwegian/Swede via Minnesota) and not Irish at all that we are aware of. But historian suggest there was a great deal of DNA swapping between Irish lasses and Scandinavian "visitors" about a 1000 years ago give or take 200 years, and she does have red hair, as did I when I was younger.

My wife and I have considered eventually buying a summer home in a cooler climate compared to our native Texas. Ireland would certainly meet that criteria, but my Irish ancestors (Scots-Irish or other wish) came over a few hundreds years ago, so the grandparent provision won't work for me. I would have to find another way to gain approval to immigrant and perhaps own a small cottage in the country-side....once again, part of my romantic musings.

 

[Major Tom]

and you can be conscripted into the military of either country in which you are resident.

That's one of the benefits of being old - a country would have to be pretty desperate to want us oldies in their military

I have one grandparent who was born in Ireland, and have thought about Irish citizenship. It's certainly good to have options.

Congratulations BigNick!

 

[braumeister]

historian suggest there was a great deal of DNA swapping between Irish lasses and Scandinavian "visitors" about a 1000 years ago .

Visit Iceland sometime. Between the Norse colonizers and the Irish monk proselytizers, the country is full of blondes with freckles. Beautiful people.

 

[NW-Bound]

...As to dual citizenship, when I was in the military I had a good friend who had been born in Cuba and he had a TS clearance so that wasn't a problem.

Ah, but being from Cuba, he probably renounced his native place of birth, so it was not dual citizenship. He would not have a Cuban passport. If he came back, Castro would grab him and send him to a re-education camp.

In fact, if he went to Cuba, and Castro let him return unharmed, when he came back the US would have at least revoked his clearance, after grilling him for days. In the worst case, he would get to go back to Cuba again, to Gitmo.

 

[ERD50]

.... I will celebrate with something other than Guinness (which I hate). .....

I hope that didn't come up in the citizenship process, you might find your papers being revoked!

Congrats! Looks like a good move. Just be quiet about that Guinness thing (shhhhh).

It took a long time, but DW finally gained a fondness for Guinness just this year. Oddly enough, I think Dragon's Milk (bourbon barrel aged Stout - 11%!), was her gateway-drug.

-ERD50

 

[Meadbh]

I'm Irish born and bred, and I don't like Guinness, the drink. That said, I am going to put some of it in my Irish Stew to deglaze the pan. And it is an essential ingredient in this decadent Chocolate Guinness Cake!

Donal Skehan | Chocolate Guinness Cake*

 

[Fedup]

Ah, but being from Cuba, he probably renounced his native place of birth, so it was not dual citizenship. He would not have a Cuban passport. If he came back, Castro would grab him and send him to a re-education camp.

In fact, if he went to Cuba, and Castro let him return unharmed, when he came back the US would have at least revoked his clearance, after grilling him for days. In the worst case, he would get to go back to Cuba again, to Gitmo.

I agree, born in Cuba and dual active citizenship from two countries maybe different. But my husband had friends from Canada and Sweden who got TS.

 

[NW-Bound]

Yes, I know. One does not need to be born in the US to obtain clearance. However, there is a list of countries you are not allowed to visit. I remember Cuba being listed as one back then. There were many others back in the days, mostly Communist countries.