I was born in London, but because my old Dad was from County Armagh I qualified for Irish citizenship under the GFA.

I feel honoured by the government of Ireland and proudly hold my passport.

Dad always considered me an Irishman, yet I never quite felt that in myself until the last few years. Brexit changed that. I don’t feel English any more. I now live in Cornwall which is one of the Celtic lands, distinct from England.

I’ve been reading Irish history and exploring the music.

While most Irish people have welcomed me as part of the diaspora, a few say I’m a Brit and that’s all I will ever be.

Interested to know what people here think…..

by MovingTarget2112

34 comments

  2. What does your new Dad think? That’s where I’d start.

  3. We’re not doing the Irish thing anymore. We’re all Klingons now.

  7. My parents are both English, and moved here before I was born. I have dual citizenship, though I didn’t bother renewing my British passport when it expired. Nationality is a very important part of some people’s identity, and far less important for others. It’s what you make of it.

  8. You felt English all your life and suddenly you don’t because of a vote going the wrong way? And you think anyone in Ireland will believe you when you say you’re a true “Irish now”? You’re whatever is most convenient to you at the time 😂. No wonder they call you British, that’s what you are whether you just collected a lucky passport or not.

  11. Now you get to waltz past the brexit plebs while they are stuck in a non EU queue at the airport 😂😂

  12. You know… the GFA isn’t really the reason you’re entitled to an Irish passport 

  14. You are English with Irish citizenship, which is distinct from being Irish

    But it doesn’t really matter anyway

  16. You are irish raised in England. I have family who moved to Reading in the 70s. My cousins were born and bred in Reading, but they are still irish to me. Different people have different points of view, but that’s mine anyway. DM me if you visit Cork and we’ll go for a pint🍺🍺

  17. Since you still live in Britain and got citizenship by ancestry I’d call you English but if you moved to Ireland anywhere on the island I’d call you irish

  18. Youre English but like Irelands culture, nothing wrong with that

  19. Yeah you are British, with a but, and there’s nothing wrong with that, in fact there are a good many Irish people labouring under that illusion. Be proud of where you came from.

    BUT you are very obviously Irish in your heart and carry the paper work to prove it so you are much closer to Irish than many who claim to be Irish.

    Fáilte to the clann. May I also congratulate my fellow Irish man on your new passport- comhghairdeas.

    Although I say this with a ‘who the f** am I to say.’

  20. Mate. Your more than welcome. Yes ‘yr British’ and so what. Your willing and able. We’re joined at the hip. I’ve loads of good good mates who are British and I’m Irish SO WHAT!

  21. Was born in London to 2 Irish parents, moved here when I was 5, still get called English occasionally despite having no cultural or blood ties (did a dna test) to that country, go figure

  22. Cornwall? The place that voted itself overwhelmingly out of the EU?

  23. You’ve a subreddit of folks here that would call you English but an African fella with no bloodline in Ireland, Irish. Pay them no heed. How you feel is all that matters.

  25. If you qualify then you qualify, I seriously doubt anyone loses sleep over British people getting Irish passports, the two countries do have a very long albeit complicated relationship.

  26. Fellow paper paddy, been interesting following the conversation

  27. Congrats. You should pop over for some holidays. You’ll see how welcoming your fellow Irish are. If you have a grá for Ireland you’ll get a warm reception.

  28. I was born in London to Irish parents. Grew up in a tight Irish community, and spent a lot of time in Ireland as a kid. I’ve always considered myself Irish, but it’s really up to you how you feel.

  32. You know you’re Irish when people start slagging you in a good friendly way.

  33. If u take extreme pleasure in seeing England being beaten in everything then ur probably Irish.

  34. As a strong republican, you are Irish my brother. More Irish than the idiots hating on immigrants.
    Welcome.

Leave a Reply