Spousal Visa Process

I am currently awaiting my FBR and then Irish passport. I am a American living in the US.

My spouse and I want to move to Ireland. She will not have anything but US citizenship. Our goal would be to get her Irish Citizenship but legal residence status definitely comes first.

What is the process like to get a spousal visa? Do I need to reside in Ireland first to get her over here? Does my American income count towards the 40k euro income requirement? Am I misunderstanding that the stamp 4 requires a pre-approval you get online before arriving in the country?

I am really hoping that one day soon we can get on a plane together and start in Ireland together.

She is a Veterinarian and I am a Civil Engineer working in the project management side of things. We would be able to support ourselves immediately and would not need resources from the state. (We are not opposed to universal healthcare or subsidized housing)

Is there a better path to future citizenship for her that I'm not thinking of?