In that case, the same would apply, except you would want to get citizenship in any European Union country. I would go with France. France permits dual citizenship and if you obtain a 2 year masters degree in France (and stay there for the 2 years during the masters degree) and then live there for 2 more years working in France, you can get French citizenship, which confers you EU citizenship.

The only situations where trying to obtain Irish citizenship would be advantageous is if you wanted to live in the United Kingdom (Irish citizens have the right to live/work/retire in the UK) or if you have formal qualifications (bachelors/masters degree) in a STEM field. If you have formal qualifications in a tech field with educational degrees, you can often get hired in Ireland much easier than other EU countries due to the Irish Skills Waiver, and you would not need sponsorship.

You need to enter the country with a visa which allows work or self-employed work.

You have to apply for and timely renew a residence permit. Documents which are required depend on the type of the permit. For work permits you need to demonstrate that you income is above the social minimum. The permit gives you the right to stay on the Italian soil and travel in the EU.

You need to rent a place to live and apply for the residency. Strictly speaking, residency is optional, but it will give you an Italian ID card, and will be required to receive a driver's license. IIRC you have six months before you need to get a local driver's license. Residency will also reduce utility bills and is required in some other situations.

After X years of non-interrupted residency (where X depends on your country of origin) you can apply for a citizenship. And it's a whole new story.