What is this all about?

[mum]

Here's a new one:
My daughter informed me that her father has been granted citizenship in Ireland ("Dad says tomorrow's  his first St. Patricks day as an Irish citizen!").     I asked how that happened and she said, he felt like it and filled out all the paperwork. (Oh...says I, not wanting to pry, lest she stop telling me things!)
WHAT THE HECK??

Is this a narc thing? I am of Irish lineage and so is his new wife (although her folks were right off the boat, so to speak). He has no Irish ancestors.  Is it like the fancy car he bought...some kind of label identification?  My sister has dual citizenship, but has been living in central america for 25 years, so I understand how that works.....
Is Ireland a great place to hide money or something?  Is it easy to do?
As far as I know, he owns no property there (or does he?)
His wife has relatives there....but (anybody is Ireland on this board?)
what on earth is this all about?  Did his wife catch him cheating and this is a deal of some kind with her?  
Is it just one more weird thing a narc will do to feel special?

WHAT THE....?  

[Stormchild]

Is he into tax shelters? Ireland used to exempt from taxation certain professions - artists among them, I think. This may still be true. Could also be a political thing. Or not...

[Anonymous]

I suppose it makes him feel special. I would ignore this news item unless there is some financial issue that affects you.

bunny

[Portia]

Another weird N thing I guess. Possibly got conned into it by someone who flattered his ego about it. Wonder if/what he paid? Ns can be very naïve sometimes, when they feel flattered and entitled. Some info in Irish citizenship:  http://www.uslawfirm.com/

I wonder what they mean by opportunities in ‘safe international travel’?

[sleepyhead]

I can relate here. I think it is just a need to feel "special". After I had been through Mongolia, my mother said that our ancestors came fom there hundreds of years ago. I thought that this was pretty cool, of course I believed her and told people I knew. More than ten years later she goes on holiday to Hungary. Now all of a sudden our ancestors come from there, the same ones of course, she even uses the same arguments, about records saying our ancestors were "eastern" and so on (now substituting the word "mongolian" for "eastern").  What is this about? Just feeling special and having something to talk about I believe. I don't really believe that your N has really become a citizen, it is petty hard to become a citizen of a European country, normally you have to live therefor at least five years and be married to citizen. However, I'm not familiar with the Irish laws, so maybe it is true. I wouldn't believe it until I saw proof though.

[Brigid]

Mum,
I wasn't aware that the Irish were so desperate for new citizens that someone could just decide that they wanted to be one.  I would agree with Sleepyhead that there should be more to it and at the very least you would need to have lived there for a period of time.  With any luck he will make the move and then you can make yours.  

Brigid

[mum]

Thanks for the responses. Yup, he is totally weird.  And he does many things that make him "stand out", so in that way, this makes sense.  Figuring out what he is  up to is a waste of time, as I can count on him lying about anything and everything. Maybe his wife has dual citizenship, maybe he bought property (and I can only dream he will move there soon!) and maybe it is just one more thing he can "brag" about!  And Bunny, you're right, unless it affects me financially, I can just laugh!

[mum]

Portia: the website you sent me to explains a LOT. Thank you!

  He travels throughout Europe for work, for many months at a time.  According to this website, this makes his extended stays there easier.  His wife's dad is from Ireland, so that's most likely how he did it.  It adds up, actually to him LYING again about no work, and no prospects for it (Poor me again).  He makes a fortune when he does work.  Italian Olympics on the horizon....so maybe his supposed push to reduce child support stems from a huge contract coming up (so he'll do it quick). Frankly, I don't think he'll do anything, as he will risk exposure if he does.

What a funny life!  Have a great day, all!!

[mum]

Portia: I would think that by "safe international travel" they mean that an American passport would make you a target and a Irish one would not.
So strange.