Originally Posted by
CCayley
Once, possessed of the same curiosity, I asked a friendly passport control officer at Dublin and he said: 1. I didn't need a passport to enter Ireland, but 2. the most practical way to show I didn't need a passport was to show my passport! I don't think that makes any sense, but it was what I was told...
Yes bizarre and all as it is this is the situation I believe ... the theory of the Common Travel Area (CTA) is that it only applies to UK & Irish citizens and the easiest way to prove you're a UK/Irish citizen is by showing your passport ! .. On arrival at most ( all? ) UK Airports though there are no checks for anyone .. arrivals are subject to Customs, but not immigration ( same as Channel Islands arrivals ) .. but on arrival at DUB and other Irish airports there's no segregation so you pass immigration control .. but you can just use your driver's licence or similar to pass as long as the immigration staff think you're a UK/Irish citizen
To the original question .. there's only two gates at T5A that bypass immigration, but still use the International Baggage reclaim .. A22&23 I think ( the last two on the South side of the building ) .. All Dublin ( and Jersey I guess too ) arrivals need to use these gates .. if they don't they have to get bussed to the base of the airbridge on one of those gates