Discount vacation in Ireland for Americans with Irish roots

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Discount for travelers with Irish heritage

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The Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland is considering a proposal to give hefty discounts to visitors to the country with Irish roots.

The plan is simple. If you're Irish then you will qualify for discounts at some of Ireland's top visitor attractions.

Each visitor with Irish ancestry will be eligible for a Certificate of Irish Heritage and can use this to make their way around Ireland on less money than those who don't have any Irish heritage.

The proposal suggests that the Certificate of Irish Heritage be a small credit-card style card that visitors can carry in their wallets with them.

Although it won't entitle them to any legal rights or even Irish citizenship it will allow for deep discounts at some of Ireland's top tourist destinations.

The idea came from the Department of Foreign Affairs but the execution of the plan will be operated by a private company.

At this time Foreign Affairs Minister, Michael Martin, is inviting firms to send in applications on how to operate the project.

Currently anyone born in Ireland or born abroad with an Irish parent or grandparent can qualify for Irish citizenship.

However the Certificate of Irish Heritage will extend beyond Irish grandparents.

Once a person can prove their Irish ancestry - either by producing a legitimate birth certificate or church records of death, even a marriage or baptism cert of even land records or a will- then they will be eligible for the Certificate of Irish Heritage.

The idea stems from the Global Irish Network conference that took place in Dublin last year which took place to see how to connect the 70 million Irish Diaspora across the globe.

The program is to run on a trial basis for a year and if successful will be renewed annually for up to five years. 

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