Stamp4/Welfare/RC

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 in the original EUTR1 form did not pan out, nor have we yet secured an official, tenancy/address. Ha - not a brilliant performance.
I'm given to understand we can access welfare benefits but I am unclear how this will impact upon the Resident Card application. I am also unsure what happens if the Resident Card is refused - is it possible simply to renew the Stamp 4 and for my spouse to stay indefinitely? On what grounds does/would this work? And are the spouses of UK citizens treated differently to those of other EU states?

Finally, I believe myself eligible for Irish citizenship. Would anyone recommend that I now go down this route?

Any specific info welcomed - and apologies if this has been covered elsewhere (I have had a good look around).

How did your spouse obtain Stamp 4? Is it a temporary permit that allows her to stay here whilst the EU1 is in progress?
If it is the case, she cannot extend Stamp 4 if the EU1 application is refused.
If she obtained the Stamp 4 by her own (work, business etc), she can extend it indefinitely so long as she continues working.

As for citizenship application, if you have lived here for 5 years, by all means apply for it.

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.

Was your parents or grandparents Irish citizen?

Yes.

If you are eligible for Foreign Birth Register and you are able to find out the birth certificate from your parent/grantparent, just send them over. There's no harm having a EU passport, especially with a potentially disastrous no-deal Brexit.

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?

It would not assist your spouse. Applying for her residence permit under EU rules (as a UK citizen exercising EU Treaty Rights) is much easier than applying under domestic rule (as an Irish citizen).