Certificate of Irish Heritage shambles

The Certificate of Irish Heritage (www.heritagecertificate.ie), the all-singing, all-dancing, plastic paddy certificate, has lowered the criteria for eligibility for applicants. Now you don't actually need to submit proof that you are Irish - i.e. the genealogy bit.

Here is what the site now requires, as stated on its page at www.heritagecertificate.ie/how-to-get-the-certificate:

FOR PRINTING ON THE CERTIFICATE:

Ancestor name is REQUIRED
Year of birth is OPTIONAL
Town or parish of birth is OPTIONAL
County of Birth is OPTIONAL

There is room on the Certificate for 1 or 2 ancestors.


INFORMATION THAT’S NEEDED BY THE GOVERNMENT
Line of Descent

You will need the names of the people in the line between the Certificate recipient and one ancestor. For example:

Recipient
Recipient’s Parent
Recipient’s Grand-parent
Ancestor (G-Grandparent)

Ancestor information:

You’ll need to answer 2 simple questions about the ancestor, out of 7.

What town or parish did the person come from?
What year were they born?
What year did they leave Ireland?
What was their port of departure?
What was their port of arrival?
Where did they settle in their adopted country?
What was their occupation?

ANY 2 ANSWERS IS ENOUGH, THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT TO ANSWER ALL OF THEM.

(My bold highlights)

Documentary proof is no longer required. Claire Santry has covered the story on her Irish Genealogy News blog at http://irish-genealogy-news.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/burden-of-proof-eased-for-irish.html. To quote her summary: "In other words it is now possible to receive a Certificate of Irish Heritage by saying you're descended from Patrick O'Kelly, a labourer who lived in California. No more questions asked".

The sales last year of the certificate were highly disappointing (see http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/low-certificate-of-irish-heritage-sales.html).

I can't help feeling that if it looks like a dead duck, makes no noise like a dead duck, contributes to world peace as much as a dead duck, and swims as badly as a dead duck, then in all probability, it is really very likely to be a dead duck...

Chris

Check out my Scotland's Greatest Story research service www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)