Page 38 - O Mahony Journal 2025

• Enjoy fundamental rights as set out in the Irish Constitution.

• It grants me the right to hold an Irish passport.

• My Irish passport allows me to travel abroad and entitles me to certain diplomatic
support services from Irish embassies if I get into difficulty abroad.

• The Irish Republic is part of the European Union (EU). This in itself offers unique benefits.

• An Irish passport is one of the best in the world for freedom of movement.
As an Irish citizen, I am entitled to live, work, and study in any one of 32 countries.

This includes:

- 27 EU countries (including Ireland).

- European Economic Area (EEA) countries: Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
- The United Kingdom (UK): Ireland’s Common Travel Area agreement with the UK pre-dates the
EU and applies after the Brexit implementation period.

- Travel without a visa to a total of 170 countries.

QUESTIONS AND EXCEPTIONS
There are a few exceptions to the process of citizenship by birth or descent. It is best to consult
the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs with any questions about the above process or information
about exceptions. You can find information about contacting them on their website at: https://
www.dfa.ie/about-us/contact-us/contact-foreign-birth-registration-citizenship/

Please note: After reading this article, do you think you may be eligible to apply for Irish citizenship?
Would you simply like to learn more about this topic? As part of our Anniversary Celebration, the O
Mahony Society will present a virtual lecture/discussion on Irish Citizenship by descent later this year.
The lecture will be recorded and made available to members on our website. O Mahony Society
Members should watch your email and our O Mahony Society Friends Group on Facebook for the
announcement of the date and time for this informative virtual event!

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