Your Guide to Irish Citizenship by Descent
A comprehensive, self-paced online course featuring more than nine hours of step-by-step video lessons, downloadable templates, and practical visual charts to help you locate the records you need and prepare your application with clarity, structure, and confidence. Specially designed for Americans with a grandparent born on the island of Ireland who wish to apply for Irish citizenship through Foreign Birth Registration (FBR). When we refer to your "grandparent", we mean your parent's parent, not a great-grandparent.
More Than an Application
Historical quotations, beautiful visuals, and archival images create a more immersive learning experience while helping you reconnect with your Irish heritage. Our goal is not simply to help you save time and avoid confusion. We want your application journey to be a meaningful project – one that deepens your appreciation for Ireland, its history and culture, and the generations of family history that connect you to the country.
Our Course Includes
9+ Hours of Step-by-Step Video Lessons
More than nine hours of practical, engaging video lessons across five modules – guiding you from focused genealogy research to the Foreign Birth Registration application itself.
Downloadable Templates & Visual Charts
Fillable templates and practical visual charts to help you locate the records you need and prepare your application with clarity, structure, and confidence.
Designed for Every Starting Point
Whether you already know your Irish-born grandparent's story or you're starting from almost nothing, the course meets you where you are.
One Process, One Focus
People ask us whether we cover, or plan to cover, other countries' citizenship-by-descent programs. The answer is no. Irish By Descent was built for one purpose: helping people pursue Irish citizenship through Foreign Birth Registration. This is a commitment to the Irish diaspora – and it is all we do. That focus is why our work gets noticed. Foreign Birth Registration figures we obtained from Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs have been featured by CTV News, part of Canada's largest private broadcast network, and by ABC News, Australia's national broadcaster. And if the process changes, so does the course. Your purchase includes every update – you'll always have access to the newest version at no additional cost.
Explore the Free Preview
Get free access to the first lesson. In this preview, you'll see how the course takes you from focused, practical genealogy to the Foreign Birth Registration application itself, whether you are starting from almost nothing or you already know your Irish-born grandparent's story.
A Window of Opportunity
There is currently no indication that Ireland plans to change its Foreign Birth Registration eligibility rules. However, Italy's 2025 citizenship-by-descent reform proved how quickly opportunities can disappear. If you qualify, the safest time to apply is while the door is wide open.
Our Passion
We are passionate about helping Americans pursue Irish citizenship-by-descent while reconnecting meaningfully with their Irish heritage. We hope that this enthusiasm is reflected in the way we’ve designed the learning experience. Throughout the course, you’ll see handpicked historical images, carefully chosen quotes to open lessons, and modern photos that highlight the natural beauty of the Emerald Isle. Le dea-ghuí (With good wishes), The Irish By Descent Team
About Us
Irish By Descent, LLC is an online education company based in the Washington, D.C. area. Our mission is to make navigating Ireland's citizenship by descent process more accessible, clear, and affordable. We are not affiliated with the Government of Ireland or any Irish government agency. Irish By Descent is a Member of Learnovate, a research and innovation centre hosted by Trinity College Dublin, as well as an Institutional Member of the Virginia Genealogical Society and a Sponsor Member of the Éire Society of Boston.