Prove You're Irish

Due to Hurricane Sandy, publishing is closed for the day.

Along with Wall Street, unless you're trading electronically, but where's the fun in that?

So you have nothing better to do all day. Why not prove that you're Irish?

All you need is a few euro (although American dollars are quite welcome) and the Irish Heritage people would be happy to provide you with written proof that you're Irish.

There is a catch.

You have to provide them with information on at least one ancestor who left Ireland. This isn't for the non-Hibernians, who might wish to defraud others on St. Patrick's Day. This is a genuine authentication for those who don't qualify for an Irish passport but wish to display their heritage in a lovely frame over the mantle.

The problem is, not enough of the millions of descendants of the Irish diaspora have taken advantage of the opportunity, to the consternation of the committee.

For the past year that the offer has been in place, only about one thousand certificates were sold.

That is not what the Department of Foreign Affairs had in mind.

They thought this would be a popular little scheme that would pay for itself through the cost of the certificate, but there's no money to be made if the fixed cost of the staff doing the research isn't covered by a sufficient income from sales.

While things aren't going as well as anticipated, the scheme is being extended in the hope that people with Irish roots will discover it and buy in.

Because of the hurricane, your day is largely free. Why not order your own certificate, before the hurricane passes and New York City opens up for business again? You'll be the envy of all your neighbors, with your certificate on display.

Prove you're Irish. The Department of Foreign Affairs will thank you.

Act now. The offer may not last.