Yes middle name use is very common on the island of Ireland. North and South. Even more confusing is folks with the same name as their father using a completely different name. I had two bosses over the years with odd combinations. One had the initials TJ and signed his name as such. His names were Thomas John........but he was known by everyone as Ivan (because his dad was John). Similarly another had the initials JJ So John Joseph......he was know by all and sundry as Ian (because his dad was John)
......
First names can also be tricky - following an e mail from an Eoin up North, I phoned him. I have a grandson called Eoghan - the Gaelic spelling of Eoin. Incidentally Tyrone comes from Tir Eoghan - the land of Eoin. Getting back on track, I phone Eoin & obviously address him as Eoin. He politely corrected me, although spelt as Eoin he was an Ian. This went beyond the usual pronunciation issues.
Then throw in the mix.... EoghanYip its a Minefield. I have a friend from Armagh called Eoin pronounced Owen the same way as Eoin Morgan........the Irish.....English Cricket captain
I must do that meself one of these days.Next job, learn the words to Amrhán na bhFiann.
Welcome to the clubAs per post #39 - i said that I would pop back if/when I managed to get an Irish passport. It arrived a few days ago, so just around three months since I applied. This info' may be of some use to anyone who stumbles upon this thread and is appling for a first Irish passport.
The process was quite long winded and very thorough - TBH I'm glad it is. The docoments proving that my mother was Irish (original birth certificate and marriage certificate) were accepted straight away DESPITE my mother's Christian name being different on each document. Proving who I was and where I lived was not so easy. I provided a copy of my UK passport, which I had witnessed by my son's partner - a Head teacher, non relative. She had to provide her work address and work phone number. I didn't think that the passport bods would actually ring her but they did. Apparently they quizzed her big time re who I was, where I lived etc etc. She told me that they really wanted chapter and verse.
I also supplied my council tax bill and my credit card statements as proof of UK address, both of these were rejected. They were rejected because they were addressed to (say) JB Smith and not John Barry Smith, they would not accept anything with initials. Now think about that, what do you have sent to you, from banks or government bodies etc, that uses your full name? Just about all my bills/statements etc are now on-line and they would not accept any copies or home print outs. Luckily I had some correspondence from the DWP and a Yorkshire water bill that saved the day. They also rejected the photo that I sent to them They will accept phone pictures but not 'selfies'. I ended up getting a phot in one of those machines in WH Smiths which was accepted.
ALL documents had to be originals. I used Royal mail, International tracked signed for postage. UK to Ireland took approx' a week. No issues.
Three months later and this Ian (not Iain, Eoin or Eoghan) with the mother with two Christian names, received a passport and I feel strangely proud reading 'Nationality - Irish' My mother always said that I was Irish, I thought she was nuts........hmmmmmmm........
Looks like I'm back in the EU - It's the International Hokey Kokey.....
View attachment 304558
......and become an alcoholic and not have to hide the fact.
You only have to know the last line.Welcome to the club Johnnie, it's a fabulous place to be.
Next job, learn the words to Amrhán na bhFiann.
I know most of it, barring the last 3 lines or so which I just can't get to stick in my dumbass brain.
