Grandmothers birth certificate required.

[slippery]

A cousin of mine wants to get an EU passport as we believe our grandmother was Irish her mother was Mary Jane Hamilton born in 1856 in Belfast. We cannot find a birth cert for her as she was illegitimate.
My grandmother Elizabeth Hamilton was born in Lancashire she is on the 1881 Census in Over Darwen aged 1 granddaughter in Hamilton family. I have not found a birth cert for her. Her birth date in Family Bible and 1939 Census is 14 May 1879.
Daughter Mary Jane Hamilton aged 24 on the 1881 census could be the mother, as Elizabeth is down as granddaughter on the 1881 census?
Mary Jane Hamilton married John Nuttall on 8 September 1883 at The Belgrave Square, Independent, Meeting House, Darwen.
If John Nuttall is the father why did he wait 4 years to get married?
On the 1891 Census John and Mary Jane are living in Islington, London, Elizabeth Nuttall aged 11 is living with them.
Elizabeth married James Mackness in 1898 giving her father’s name as John Hamilton.
On 4 of her children birth certificates her maiden name is Hamilton her 4 remaining children she changed her maiden name to Nuttall.

Peter

[CaroleW]

My grandmother Elizabeth Hamilton was born in Lancashire she is on the 1881 Census in Over Darwen aged 1

Can't see that 1881 entry on either FS or Ancestry.  Is her surname Hamilton?  What is her birthplace

[rosie99]

It is here Carole

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q275-L7VR

[CaroleW]

Ahh - spelt with an S not a Z and b Manchester.  Thanks Rosie

[arthurk]

I think my situation may be similar to yours (great grandmother born in Ireland, but all later generations in England) and that in itself isn't enough to qualify me for Irish citizenship. I believe if my father had had his birth entered in the Foreign Births Register, I might now have been able to apply, but I've no evidence that he ever did - or would have wanted to.

You can read more about the qualifications on these sites:

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/irish_citizenship/irish_citizenship_through_birth_or_descent.html

http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/citizenship-by-birth-descent

[Lisajb]

Reading through, it would appear that you can claim Irish citizenship through an Irish born grandparent, but not an Irish great grandparent. So my husband could (grandmother born in County Westmeath), but not our children, as she would be their great grandmother. I suppose the Irish government may sense an opportunity in the future though.

[aghadowey]

A cousin of mine wants to get an EU passport as we believe our grandmother was Irish her mother was Mary Jane Hamilton born in 1856 in Belfast. We cannot find a birth cert for her as she was illegitimate.

Nothing to do with being illegitimate. Registration of births didn't start until 1864 so there would have been no birth certificate for someone born before that date.
However, as has already been mentioned, you need an Irish-born grandparent to start the procedure for claiming Irish citizenship.

[Rosinish]

"we believe our grandmother was Irish her mother was Mary Jane Hamilton born in 1856 in Belfast.
My grandmother Elizabeth Hamilton was born in Lancashire"

Not sure why you believe your grandmother was Irish when you state she was born in Lancashire making her English?

Annie

[lancsann]

I believe you can claim Irish nationality back through grandparents but why would you want a EU passport? If grandparents were born in Belfast that is still part of the UK. Only Southern Ireland (Eire) is an EU member state in its own right