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...
I agree it does sound like the old "If I were you I wouldn't start from here" joke but there's an unspoken step in the syllogism. The complete chain would be something like
1.You don't need a passport to enter Ireland
2. But you do need to satisfy me that you are who you claim to be and, in common with the rest of the world, we tend to consider a passport more acceptable proof of identity than a library card
3. So the most practical way is to show your passport