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Know Your Rights: Becoming an Irish Citizen

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Q: Who is entitled to Irish Citizenship?

A: You are entitled to claim Irish citizenship if any one of the following applies:

1. You were born in Ireland or Northern Ireland before 1 January 2005
2. You were born in Ireland or Northern Ireland after 31 December 2004 and one (or both) of your parents was an Irish or entitled to be an Irish citizen or a British citizen at the time of your birth or one of the following scenarios apply to you:

* One (or both) of your parents was an Irish or British citizen and died before you were born
* One (or both) of your parents was entitled to live in Ireland or Northern Ireland without any restriction on his or her period of residency
* One (or both) of your parents was legally resident on the island of Ireland for three out of the four years immediately before your birth (this does not include residence on a student visa, or residence while awaiting an international protection decision)

3. You were born abroad and one of the following scenarios apply to you:
* One (or both of your parents) was born in Ireland and was entitled to Irish citizenship
* Your grandparent was born in Ireland and you have entered your birth on the Foreign Births Register
* At the time of your birth, your parents had become an Irish citizen by registering with the Foreign Births Register or by naturalisation. You must register your birth with the Foreign Births Register before obtaining Irish citizenship.

4. You were born in Ireland and are not entitled to be a citizen of any other country.

Q: Who is entitled to apply for Irish citizenship by naturalisation?

If you are not entitled to citizenship by birth or descent, you can apply to become an Irish citizen by naturalisation if one of the following situations apply to you:

* You have lived in Ireland legally for five out of the last nine years ending on the day before your application and you have resided in Ireland legally for the 12 month period before your application and you are over 18
* You received a declaration as a refugee from the Minister for Justice and you have lived legally in Ireland for three years ending on the day of your application and you are aged over 18
* You are currently married to or a civil partner of an Irish citizen and you have lived in Ireland legally for three out of the five years before the day of your application and you have resided in Ireland legally for the 12 month period before your application and you have been married and living together for three years
* You are a child born in Ireland who is not entitled to citizenship by birth and both you and one (or both) of your parents has lived in Ireland legally for five out of the nine years ending on the day of your application and both you and one (or both) of your parents have resided in Ireland legally for the 12 month period before your application

How to apply for Citizenship through Naturalisation?

There are a number of steps to follow. First you need to check that you qualify and then you must complete an application form. It is essential that you use the current version of the application from which you will get on the Immigration Service Delivery website. You can get help with the form from your local Citizens Information Service. You will need to provide supporting documentation with your application and if your documents are in a language other than English, you must get them translated by a professional translating service. All adult applicants must send a Tax Clearance Certificate. This certifies that your tax affairs are in order.
When you have completed the application form and are ready to send the form and supporting documents, you will have to make a statutory declaration. A statutory declaration is a way of swearing that something is true. It is a written statement and must be witnessed by someone who is authorised to witness your declaration.
Your completed form, with the relevant fee is then sent to the Immigration Service at the address on the form.

What rights does Citizenship give?

If you are an Irish citizen, you are entitled to:

* Carry an Irish passport
* Live and work in Ireland without restriction
* Vote in a general election, constitutional referendum or presidential election
* Be elected to Government in Ireland and in the European Union
* Live, travel and work within the European Union
* Serve on a jury, unless you are disqualified or ineligible
* Receive diplomatic assistance abroad from an Irish or EU embassy

Can you hold Dual Citizenship?

Ireland allows dual citizenship, which means that you can become an Irish citizen and remain a citizen of another country.

Some countries do not allow dual citizenship and you should check the citizenship rules of your country of nationality if you are considering applying for Irish citizenship.

If you are a dual citizen, you can apply to have your non-Irish passport stamped with a Without Condition Endorsement (also called Stamp 6). This stamp says that you have a right to live in Ireland without any time conditions.

For anyone needing information, advice or have an advocacy issue, you can call a member of the local Citizens Information team in Kerry on 0818 07 7860, they will be happy to assist and make an appointment if necessary. The offices are staffed from Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm. Alternatively you can email on tralee@citinfo.ie or log on to www.citizensinformation.ie for further information.

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Regatta Queen crowned at annual dance

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The annual Killarney Regatta Dance took place on September 25 as rowers, families and supporters came together to celebrate their successful year.

The racing was cancelled in September due to bad weather.

The Killarney Regatta is one of Ireland’s oldest rowing events, having first begun in 1788.

The dance took place at the Killarney Oaks Hotel where there was a lot of excitement and fun. Six rowing clubs, Fossa, Workman’s, St Brendan’s, Commercials, Flesk Valley, and Muckross, came together to celebrate the community and its shared history.

Amelia Counihan was crowned as the Regatta Queen.

The Queen represents the spirit pride and grace of the rowing community and has been a tradition in the club for generations.

Workman’s Rowing Club congratulated Amelia and described her as a woman who embodies everything that their tradition stands for.

The club said: “Queen is more than a title — it is a celebration of history, community, and the spirit of Killarney rowing.”

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Killarney Looking Good competition celebrates community pride

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The annual Killarney Looking Good competition took place at the Great Southern Hotel on Wednesday night where Kerry GAA captain Gavin White presented the awards to the deserving recipients.

Killarney Park Hotel came out on top with the overall prize being awarded to the newly refurbished five-star hotel.

The judges were impressed by the stylish new entrance and driveway and their spectacular display of flowers and window boxes. Killarney Park won the same award back in 1992.

The best large commercial premises award went to Killarney Racecourse, and the best small commercial premises was awarded to Sheahan’s Pharmacy.

Charlie Foley’s won the best public house; best restaurant was 40 Main and Walsh Bros Shoes was named best retail.

In the residential categories, the best private residence was Tomies View, Ross Road, best large estate went to Countess Grove, and best small estate was won by Coolgreane Park.

The winner of the 2025 Fr Michael Murphy Memorial Pride of Place Award was presented to the Killarney Asylum Seekers Initiative while the Yvonne Quill Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award winner went to Margaret Curtin.

The Killarney Looking Good competition is organised by Killarney Municipal District Council and Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce and sponsored by MD O’Shea’s & Sons and O’Mahony Media.

The competition aims to encourage residents and business owners to keep the town looking well through the use of flowers, hanging baskets, colour schemes.

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