Citizenship Through Ancestry

In today’s whirlwind world of social media, it is so easy to endlessly scroll through meaningless content and immerse oneself in ridiculous trivia. I am no exception. And so it was that I recently happened across an interesting article titled “Irish Citizenship Through Ancestry.” Well that caught my eye and I clicked. To my surprise it is apparently possible to claim Irish citizenship if one has a grandparent born in Ireland. Hmm, I have a grandparent born in Ireland. The mind boggles! And the mind is now on overdrive. I am compelled to investigate further.

Initially, it seems to be a deceptively simple process. Of course there is documentation to be submitted, but I am aware of some documentation in hand and I happen to have an Aunt who has done extensive geneology investigation. She would surely be a cornucopia of information. I am entranced with the possibilities. I am convinced that I will become an Irish citizen. It is only a matter of time….Yes, it is only a matter of time, and money and paperwork, but I am undaunted. This will be epic.

I am in fact, so chuffed that I can hardly wait to inform the Sisterhood of my intention. Surprisingly they are both amazed and confused. The predominate reaction seems to be….Why? Why would anyone at my age, spend time on this when I could be doing other more useful, meaningful things. I have no answer, but I remain optimistic that it will be epic. There follows a considerable delay in progress as life intervenes, but eventually, I am again rejuvenated and ready to double down.

Where to Begin

I begin by printing the list of requirements. This seems to be a logical first step, and I am nothing if logical. I am also a notorious “skim reader,” which of course results in a somewhat vague idea of the process. I am still enthusiastic, however, and certain that this will be a worthwhile adventure.

My next step is to confirm that my Aunt is in fact familiar with the process. Following a delightful conversation during which we cover many unrelated topics, I am amazed to learn that she is in possession of an Irish Passport. Yes! I have found my muse, my guide through this complicated and lengthy process.

Our conversation reveals one very significant fact, however. My Grandmother was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This changes everything! My dreams of an EU Passport are dashed. Ireland is part of the EU but Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom which means that Brexit has by extension ruined my life! A slight exaggeration but perhaps I should rethink this exercise. No, I will persist. It is now a matter of principle.

Now What?

Well, I am more motivated than ever to forge ahead but once again life intervenes in the form of Christmas. Yes, I am now consumed with the holiday spirit and all that it entails. I reluctantly concede that further progress will have to wait until 2024.

And speaking of Christmas, I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of The Sisterhood to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. As is our usual custom, we will be taking the rest of December to relax with family and friends, and leave further blog posts to the New Year. Until then, as they say in Northern Ireland

Nollaig shona dhaoibh!