Applying for an Irish passport

[nbrome]

barryd, yes, that's right. All these certificates are needed to register you as an Irish citizen (Registration of Birth Abroad). Once you get that piece of paper you can go on to apply for a passport, which is then just a formality.
I did all this about three years ago. I was able to get my grandfather's birth certificate though - I don't know if they still accept a baptism certificate as they used to do.

[alpinecottage]

Heywood; yes, you have the family in 1901. 
The father was a farmer in Lisheenaheltia and the siblings were;
Patrick b 1866  Died young presumably
John b 1867  Came to England
Mary b 1868  Died young presumably
Patrick b 1869
Michael b 1871
Mary b 1872
James b 1874  Died young presumably
Catherine b 1876
Bridget b 1879
James b 1882  Came to England
Thomas 1885  Died in Turkey in WWI

Interesting to read you were successful with your application, nbrome.

[alpinecottage]

An update for anyone interested;
My grandfather's (James Comer) birth wasn't registered, or at least if it was, the registration never made it to the GRO from the local register office.  We got a certified copy of his baptismal record, and the GRO issued a retrospective birth certificate..... only 136 years after the event!!  My brother has applied for his foreign-born registration (so he can get an Irish passport) and is still waiting to hear about that.

In the meantime, we have both had DNA tests done and appear to have 4th cousins with Donlon/Donnellan/Donelly surnames in their trees in the correct area of Co Galway.  My gt grandmother's maiden name was Donlon (and variants) from this area of Co Galway which matches with my paper trail, so I'm confident all the research is correct and I haven't been barking up the wrong tree.   

[myluck!]

Thank you for the update
It's lovely to hear successful stories - best of everything

[Sinann]

Excellent, way to go GRO, imagine someone in the future wondering why his birth was registered 136 years late
fingers still crossed for you brother.

[alpinecottage]

Thanks, myluck and Sinann.

 "imagine someone in the future wondering why his birth was registered 136 years late "

Ha ha, I hadn't thought of that!

By the way, our DNA tests have suggested we're 60% Irish or Scottish, which again fits in with the earlier ancestors on other branches.  Seems to further justify the application for the Irish passport somehow!