Yes - no harm in having an Irish passport. That query was really as to whether it would assist my spouse.

Does anyone have any real life experience of being refused a RC10 card? Or the implications of receiving welfare?

Yes.

Yes to your question and thanks for the response.

My Irish citizenship is viable through Irish ancestry, not by virtue of having spent time here.

Very interested to hear further responses, specifically on the UK dimension.

Hello - I'm a UK citizen with non-EEA spouse now in Ireland with a Stamp 4 while awaiting outcome of Resident Card application. Sustainable work has been hard to come by, though I am supposed to be starting some p/t and seemingly relatively casual work at the end of this month. The work I specified ...