I am an Irish citizen, but I have never worked in Eire. I have worked in the UK all my life. Am I entitled to claim an Irish state pension instead of a UK one?
As you have never paid PRSI contributions in Ireland there can be no entitlement to a Contributory Pension. However if you are living in Ireland and your only income is the UK pension you may be eligible for a small Irish non Contributory pension i.e.(The difference between the UK and Irish rate). This could also bring other benefits.
More information would help to clarify.
I don't currently live in Ireland.
I expect to be self-employed, either in Ireland or the UK, in a few years time, for at least the next 15 years.
I'm 37
Under current EU rules, contributions paid in all EU country will count towards your pension in another EU country. It's a little bit more complicated than that and nobody knows what the situation will be post-Brexit or in 15 or 20 years time.
But under current rules you would be entitled to both the Irish and UK pension but you would not get the full pension from both.