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Irish heritage certificates announced by government

May allow discounts on many services in Ireland including airfares

PATRICK COOPER,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Monday, June 21, 2010, 7:10 AM

Updated Thursday, June 24, 2010, 4:20 PM

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Government to recognize 70 million diaspora

The Irish government is to introduce a certificate of Irish heritage for the 70 million Irish of the Diaspora who do not qualify for an Irish passport.

The certificates are expected to be available from the end of this year.

The initiative, was first put forward at the Global Irish Economic Forum at Farmleigh last year.

The certificates may allow discounts on many services in Ireland including air fares, hotel accomadation and a range of other tourist related activities.

The certificates will be issued by a third party business working with the Irish government.

The government believes the heritage certificate will be a valuable heirloom for millions of Irish descent who will be able to display them.

Foreign Minister Michael Martin said the Government had taken" a broad and inclusive approach to defining Ireland’s global community.

The Irish diaspora is not limited to Irish citizens living abroad or to those who have activated citizenship. Instead, it encompasses all those who believe they are of Irish descent and feel a sense of affinity with this country.”

He stated that" the reach, power and influence of many members of the diaspora can provide Ireland with an important competitive edge", he pointed out.

Some speakers at Farmleigh were critical of the fact that there was no attempt to reach out to those Irish who did not have access to Irish citizenship but who wanted to be part of the Diaspora.

Nster.com

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53 Comments

15 - 53 | See all comments

vicmcin | Mar 17, 2011, 02:47 PM EDT

that was supposed to be early 1800's and loved

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vicmcin | Mar 17, 2011, 02:03 PM EDT

I need to get info on my family that lived in Ireland in the early 1900's, I want to go there someday and find our roots, I've always loed all things Irish.

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Phrinchas | Mar 11, 2011, 10:43 PM EST

How do I get one?

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McClintonTree | Nov 28, 2010, 08:12 AM EST

I'm interested for myself, my wife and our children. However, what's the certificate cost? My great-grandfather John Melia was born in Ireland in 1840 and came to the U.S. in 1860. He married Martha McClinton, a Savannah, Ga., resident whose mother and father were born in Ireland. To me, these certificates are a nice gesture but are they reasonably priced so as to be affordable? Where can I surf to view a sample and get the price?

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Dublinjas | Sep 13, 2010, 10:26 PM EDT

We dont think you are Irish enough to rate a passport But gimme your money anyway, That is the Cynical message coming from this Government of Misfits and Negligent Fools. Anyone who takes a walk around any Irish town or city cannot help but notice the Trash that this bunch has brought into Ireland under some kind of Mad Rush to Forcefully create a so called Multicultural Nation as if Ireland had just been discovered and was now being peopled for the first time, The way things stand at the moment is by opening the flood gates to the world Ireland or more specifically a handful of Idiot politicians and Clergy have sown the seeds for the Demise and Extinction of the Irish Race in a further generation or three. Make no mistake these people are as guilty of Treason as any Traitor that has ever existed.

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irishcoffeekid | Aug 29, 2010, 02:33 PM EDT

I'm an Irish citizen living in the USA for the past 6 years! What I'd like to see them doing is something about our voting rights - because I live in the USA I cannot vote in Ireland (even though my family is still there and I travel home often and keep up with news) but as I'm waiting on my citizenship to be processed in the USA, I can't vote here yet either! There is something wrong with the system whereby you pay taxes, you contribute to your community here in the USA, you're a resident of the country, you own property yet you still cannot vote! Makes me crazy - i wish they'd focus on this issue as a priority. Thats not to say I dont recognise there are people who want to promote their irish heritage and history but as someone who now sees the USA as home, I want the right to vote here and have a say in who gets into power - especially as we are now in the voting phase in DC for a new mayor!

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TMcGinty | Jun 27, 2010, 10:13 PM EDT

I think the idea is a good one. Both sets of grandparents came over in the 1890's. My parents were the first to go back. My first visit was in 1992. I have since visited eight more times and will continue as I love both Ireland(something learned from three generations above me) and the relatives I have been blessed to meet. I would welcome any discounts as I am retired, but will continue to visit with or without. While I recognize the views of others in this column, please leave out the venom. Remember that no government program, it's motivation or reader's opinion is meant to be be one size fits all. If you need to vent, try opening a window. I did this June in Castlebar and the cool breeze let me sleep like a baby. Up Mayo!

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Mairin67 | Jun 24, 2010, 11:03 AM EDT

Ajreaper, I'm only making the point that this certificate is a business scheme....and you are agreeing with me. All I am saying is call it a business scheme and not a heritage thing. I dont' have a problem with offering discounts to attract tourists. It's doing business. I do have a problem though with luring people "who think they might be Irish" with a piece of paper with a stamp on it. It's ridiculous.

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GeorgeDillon | Jun 23, 2010, 05:57 PM EDT

citizen69: I don't think you've been to Ireland recently. If you had, you'd have seen countless Indians, Pakistanis, Africans, Chinese, Russians, Arabs etc. Have these countries joined the European Union while you were asleep?

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Ajreaper | Jun 23, 2010, 05:11 PM EDT

Citizen if it allows for some discounts or something similar it benefits both- the value of this, as with all things is in the eye of the beholder. Some will want this and others will show no interest- some spend money on a coat of arms supposedly their family's others could care less. There's no harm in it- I mean they'll not be demanding those with Irish surnames aquire such a certificate.

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citizen69 | Jun 23, 2010, 11:30 AM EDT

GeorgeDillon: "If unemployment in Ireland is such a problem, why are they still importing thousands of foreign workers every month?" Any citizen of the European Union is entitled to live & work in Ireland (or anywhere else in the EU) if they choose and i don't think Ireland can legally stop that. Ajreaper: "It is an effort to encourage tourism and strengthen business ties"." Exactly, this policy was introduced to benefit the Irish Government, not the Irish diaspora scattered around the world. I wonder how much this 'certificate' is going to cost?

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ShamrockMiss | Jun 23, 2010, 12:11 AM EDT

GeorgeDillon: you make a very good point there!

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GeorgeDillon | Jun 22, 2010, 08:29 PM EDT

ShamrockMiss: "help curb a 13 percent (and growing) unemployment rate". ------------------ I don't buy this. If unemployment in Ireland is such a problem, why are they still importing thousands of foreign workers every month?

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Ajreaper | Jun 22, 2010, 05:39 PM EDT

Who said they can only survive "with our help"? Who belittled anyone? You are seeing things that do not exsist and were never stated by anyone. The simple fact is anyone the least bit connected to the tourism industry applauds anything that get's folks to Ireland- it keeps them employed. World economies are interconnected- what's good for Ireland is good for the Europeon union and the U.S.(my guess is these days there are far less Irish flying into New York for shopping trips then there were prior to this economic turn down) Mairino you harbor some irrational thoughts on this issue- where in Gods name do you get that anyone is belittling the Irish?

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Mairin67 | Jun 22, 2010, 05:16 PM EDT

Ok, when all you guys travel to Ireland and connect with the people (on a real level), ask them what they think of this. I think it's great that they want to encourage People to travel to Ireland...it's called tourism and Bord Failte and Discover Ireland does a great job doing this. Stop belittling the Irish by suggesting that they can only survive with our help.

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