Unionist Politician Fails

[Beachcomber]

Do you have a link to show that you must get a passport before having Irish citizenship?

If you live outside the ROI and you want to get Irish citizenship ROI law says that you have to engage in one of several acts in order to actually get Irish citizenship.

Simply being born on the island isn't enough. If you are born in NI you aren't automatically an Irish citizen - you are entitled to Irish citizenship, but you have to act on that entitlement in order to become an Irish citizen.

That's why unionists in NI who never take up that entitlement never become Irish citizens.

The same goes for nationalists who never take up that entitlement. They will never be Irish citizens, even though they consider themselves to be Irish.

The most common, and easiest act that you can engage in is to apply for a passport. Applying for, and being granted, a ROI passport means that you have become an Irish citizen.

[Beachcomber]

No. But as far as I know you need one to play for FAI.

That's right.

You have to have Irish citizenship in order to play for the ROI. The easiest way to prove your Irish citizenship is to have a passport.

[Beachcomber]

My ex was at college with some girl from 'Ards who was related to him. He is a Protestant. It matters not a jot. He wasn't poached either, he only found out that he could turn out for both teams while on duty with NI and the players were talking about the issue and he instructed his agent to test the water with the FAI. Now that's irony for you.

There is no blatent sectarianism, the FAI are 'poaching' no one unless you can prove otherwise? Can you prove that the FAI have not approached any Protestants? How would they even know someones religion or lack thereof? As far as I was aware they can pick anyone from the island of Ireland and are within their rights to sound any player out.

Incorrect.

They can only 'pick' those with Irish citizenship.

They could approach a unionist but if he isn't an Irish citizen, and isn't interested in becoming one, he wouldn't be eligible to play for the ROI.

[Beachcomber]

Who said 'only' a British passport? No one who plays for NI can posses 'only' a British passport either. Not since big Maik anyway.

"No one who plays for NI can posses 'only' a British passport either."

Yes they can.

You can play for NI if you only have a British passport.

What are you talking about?

[Beachcomber]

I don't understand your point. I have a British passport only. I'm Irish but to play for FAI I need to have a Eire state passport to verify I'm "Irish". My British one alone is not enough.

You're right.

I have no idea what he is talking about.

He said that you can't play for NI if you only have a British passport. That's rubbish.

[Beachcomber]

Of course it is, passports also have your place of birth.

But he wouldn't be an Irish citizen, and therefore couldn't play for the ROI.

Your place of birth proves nothing about your entitlement to Irish citizenship, or whether you actually are an Irish citizen or not.

[Beachcomber]

I say you are talking total crap. To make it easy for you. If a player was to play for the team in Dublin according to you they would need an Irish passport? Is that your case?

His case is that he'd need to be an Irish citizen.

A British passport wouldn't prove anything about his entitlement to play for the ROI team. British passports prove British citizenship, not Irish citizenship.

[Castle Ray]

Maybe you should also stay out of sport as you dont have a valid reason why this young man come to his decision.

Like many clubs in the relam of football they can nurture and spend money on players.

But if they dont have their names on the dotted line then any club/country(within the rules) can make a offer.

At no point have I stated that McClean broke any rules. I have a valid opinion on the rules. My opinion is that the rules need changed and it would tidy up this identity and nationality issue if adult players representing an association at any level in a FIFA competition are not allowed to switch association. That is a reasonable position. No?

[Paul Williams]

Northern Irish?

What's that? As McClean would say.

Not all of these "Northern Irish UK passport holders" can play for the Republic. Only the ones that also hold Irish nationality as well can play for the ROI.

"Id have no problem with someone from the republic declaring for the North"

FIFA would if they didn't have British nationality.

You don't understand all of this, do you?

"The GFA means people can hold dual citizenship"

No it doesn't.

Plenty of people held dual citizenship long before the GFA.

Why do people always trot out the GFA as if it means something in this debate. It's irrelevant.

Are you really saying that nobody in Northern Ireland held Irish citizenship before the GFA?

That's nonsense. The GFA didn't change anything on that front.

The level of ignorance as to what the GFA means is astonishing. You'd think that there were no Irish citizens in NI before the GFA came along.

Ok lets put you right, because I know what Im talking about here and you simply don't.
Before the GFA the UK authorities did not allow "their" citizens to hold an Irish Passport at the same time as a UK one. If you had an Irish one then "officially" you were required to hand it in upon application for a UK one. The UK authorities then sent it back to Dublin passport office who then just sent it back to you anyway because under the previous Articles 2 and 3 the jurisdiction of the Republic of Ireland included all 32 counties. The Southern Government always allowed you carry both whereas the UK didn't. Plenty of people did hold both passports before the GFA but officially according to the Brits they were not meant to.

As for the bit in bold, I was expressing my belief that I would be happy that any one from Ireland could play for either team, I know that this is not how FIFA see it.

Maybe you should think a little bit before typing such crap.
After reading your responses to various other posters and me it is quite obvious you are just a bitter little twat.........one that shall be ignored from here on by me.

[ArtyisBack]

If you live outside the ROI and you want to get Irish citizenship ROI law says that you have to engage in one of several acts in order to actually get Irish citizenship.

Simply being born on the island isn't enough. If you are born in NI you aren't automatically an Irish citizen - you are entitled to Irish citizenship, but you have to act on that entitlement in order to become an Irish citizen.

That's why unionists in NI who never take up that entitlement never become Irish citizens.

The same goes for nationalists who never take up that entitlement. They will never be Irish citizens, even though they consider themselves to be Irish.

The most common, and easiest act that you can engage in is to apply for a passport. Applying for, and being granted, a ROI passport means that you have become an Irish citizen.

Really - have you got the links for that?

According to the Departments website the following applies.

Every person born on the island of Ireland before 1 January, 2005 is entitled to be an Irish citizen.

The citizenship of a person born on the island of Ireland on or after 1 January, 2005 depends on the citizenship of the person's parents at the time of the person's birth or the residency history of one of the parents prior to the birth. An information notice explaining the changes that have taken effect since 01 January 2005 is available from the website of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

Under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Acts, 1956 to 2004, a person who was born outside Ireland is automatically an Irish citizen by descent if one of that person's parents was an Irish citizen who was born in Ireland.

Now that means that most of the people under discussion would be Irish citizens automatically by virtue of birth in Ireland.