Sabi Star

Does anyone know how strict the Irish Passport office is about getting grandparent's Irish birth certificates - a given requirement for an Irish Passport - if this is the only family link to Ireland? So far I have not been able to trace grandfather's birth registration in nineteenth century. He had a very common Irish first name, no middle name and very common surname! I've seen that all the census papers from 1851 to 1901 were all destroyed (?!) and there are very few other records of births for common people at that time. What can one do? Thanks

Ellmau

The census records were destroyed by the rebels in the Easter Rising when they burnt down the law courts.

Perth

I sympathise with you. I have been unable to prove my mother was born in Germany as she came from a town in East Germany, which was bombed during WWII and all records destroyed. I have not been able to go any further in my search, but I hope you have better luck.

Sabi Star

I have a very common Irish name but I guess that's not enough! I wrote to the passport office but hear they are snowed under at the moment - no reply! If those records were all destroyed how can their grandchildren be denied the link? I'm applying for that grandfather's death certificate in UK - which may or may not be the correct person but I think UK death certs. say where a person was born ( South African ones do!).

Lorna at Vicenza

If you're applying through grandparents you first need to be registered on the foreign births register (unless you yourself or your parent was born in Ireland).

"Citizenship through descent from Irish grandparents

If one of your grandparents is an Irish citizen who was born in Ireland, but none of your parents was born in Ireland, you may become an Irish citizen. You will need to have your birth registered in the Foreign Births Register – see below."


Irish citizenship through birth or descent

Sabi Star

Thanks for the information - I have read through this also but seems one does need the birth certificate of the Irish born relative in my case grandfather (my parents divorced and I never knew anything about this person; now trying to track him down!).

Lorna at Vicenza

If you actually go into the foreign births register application, there is a bit that says:

" Documents relating to the Grandparent born in Ireland /originals must be submitted:
Full civil Irish birth certificate if born after 1864. A baptism certificate is accepted only if born before before 1864, or if later with a search certificate from the Irish register of Births showing that no civil birth registration exists. "

I presume this means that you can use the Irish register office to apply for your grandparent's birth certificate and if the record was destroyed, they'll send you the search certificate that you can use.

Sabi Star

Thanks very much for that - I did not notice this information when I looked at the site. Much appreciated. I was wanting to get an EU passport because I have a house in France.

Perth

British do not. I tried that. Mother died in London and her birth certificate has no place of birth.

Perth

Wishing you the best of luck!

BritInParis

The more modern ones (A4 size) do if the information is available but it's only what the informant tells the GRO so it's not overly reliable.

Gozit

That could be worth a try - can Perth apply for a new death certificate in the new format?

Perth

I applied for it about a year ago, so I don't think I will get anything different? BiP, do you know when they changed the format?

BritInParis

It's the format in use at the time the death was recorded so if there is no place of birth listed on the existing death certificate then ordering another copy won't make a difference.

Sabi Star

I just got the Death Cert. I ordered - it does not show "Place of Birth" - it shows 9 pieces or information which are - When and where died; Name and surname; Sex; Age; Occupation; Cause of death; Signature, description and residence of informant; When registered; Signature of registrar.
Anyway this was not the person I was looking for! ( N.B. Don't give your children common names!)