I'm also planning holidays, so I would get your holiday visa sorted now, even if you are not going away till September or so, because foreign embassies wont issue Schengen/UK visas without seeing an original GNIB. After you lodge the holiday visa application, you could then send the card off to the ...

Hi All, here is my story:

Application Basis: Spouse of Irish Citizen (stamp 4)
Application Date: 17 Feb 2014
1st Acknowledgment Date: 28 Feb 2014
2nd Acknowledgment Date: 27 March 2014
Letter of approval Date: 15 July 2014

Good luck to everybody who is waiting!