Don't Panic! Don't Panic!

As the Brexit drama unfolds, we have been inundated with queries from the UK regarding people waiting to receive the birth certificate of an Irish relative so they can apply for an Irish passport.

We are working through the huge voulme of applications presently but the volume of applications is unprecedented

However some applicants seem to be particularly anxious to obtain their certificate because they are under the impression that they must apply for the Irish passport BEFORE the UK leaves the EU.

It is worth taking note that the Irish State has always allowed people to apply for an Irish passport through providing proof they have descent through having a relative born in Ireland.

This service was offered BEFORE the UK voted to leave the EU.

It will continue to be available f the UK leaves the EU.

It will continue to be available if the UK does not leave the EU

It will continue to be available if the UK leaves the EU with a deal.

And it will continue to be available if the UK leave the EU without a deal.

In the words of Lance Corporal Jones - "Don't panic, don't panic! " - because there is no closing date for applications for Irish passports.

A Marriage Certificate: A Key to Finding Irish Birth Records

We have received many queries from applicants in the UK and the US who are trying to locate the birth records of their Irish parents and grandparents to apply for Irish citizenship and hence an Irish passport.

Many applicants have sparse details about their Irish relatives but we recommend that people seek out the marriage certificate of their Irish relatives BEFORE applying for a Irish Birth Certificate for that long forgotten Irish ancestor.

A Marriage Certificate - from Ireland or indeed any country - can be a source of valuable information when trying to track down Irish relatives.

Firstly the certificate may give the date of birth of the Bride and Groom, a piece of information many applicants lack.

Alternatively the Marriage Certificate may give the AGE of the Bride and Groom on their wedding date, allowing the searcher to estimate a relatives year of birth.

In some cases the marriage certificate will state both parties to the marriage were FULL AGE at the date of marriage.

This means both parties were 16 years of age or over on their wedding day, which means you can estimate a rough year of birth so you discount any year of birth that makes them less than 16 on the year of the wedding date.

The marriage certificate will also provide the name of the Father of the Bride and Groom AND their Father's occupation.

The occupation of a father can be very useful when trying to sift through birth entries that are near matches to a sought birth record.

Some later marriage certificates MAY include the names of the mother's of the wedding couple.

Finally some marriage certificates will state where the Bride and Groom were born in Ireland which is another vital jigsaw piece when tracing an Irish ancestor.