IrishCentral, the leading Irish digital media company in North America, realized with the pandemic in full force that their large Irish audience in America and Canada would find it impossible to make their annual visits, missing their family moments and all the beauty and culture of Ireland.
Within weeks, they devised a game plan creating two new ventures, The IrishCentral Box and the Irish Heritage Tree, both programs designed to especially bridge that oceanic gap.
The IrishCentral Box and the Irish Heritage Tree together have made Ireland more accessible during these difficult times, and individually each have found a way to fulfill the need to a devoted community, by developing special access to beloved brands and celebrating the planting of Irish roots in honor of family and friends.
The IrishCentral Box is a collection of unique and outstanding items available only from Ireland’s most sought-after stores and workshops designed and packaged to be delivered seasonally four times a year. Katie Molony, Co-CEO of Irish Studio said, “With travel being so restricted, it was obvious that we had an opportunity with the creation of this subscription box for our audience to stay connected with their homeland, its people, and the particular products they produce. It’s printed right on our box 'From Our Shore, To Your Door'.”
Isochronous Media is a leading fulfillment company that operates numerous multiple subscription boxes. Ben Madden, partner in Isochronous, said, “the enthusiasm around the IrishCentral Box has been magical to witness, especially during the pandemic, seeing the loyalty and passionate clientele of the IrishCentral Box makes me proud of my Irish ancestry.”
The Irish Heritage Tree is a program designed to commemorate the spirit of a loved one, a blessed occasion, the family name, or a proud organization with the symbolic planting of a native tree. Niall O’Dowd, founder of the Irish Heritage Tree initiative, said, “We have a dream to keep all Irish wherever they may be connected to Ireland, and the Irish Heritage Tree takes that dream further by starting an Irish forest as a new touchpoint between the Irish Diaspora and Ireland.”
The Irish Heritage Tree has also an environmental element. According to Toby McCoy, the Chief Tree Officer at IrishCentral, “ In addition to being a cultural heritage program connecting people with Ireland, we are conscious of its environmental impact, understanding Ireland’s historic problems with deforestation and the sustained need to repopulate Irish woodlands. Ireland’s forests have been decimated by both human activity and an evolving climate, moving from a forest cover of 80 percent to less than 1 percent. This makes Ireland the only country in Europe to experience such a dramatic decline. “
The first Irish Heritage Trees have been planted with a commitment to plant 5,000 and the goal is to plant 100,000 trees in 2021. Award-winning actor Liam Neeson is supporting the effort of the Irish Heritage Tree with the planting of a grove of trees in observance of his family’s name and to memorialize his late wife Natasha, his parents, and nephew.
Neeson said, “I believe planting a tree in Ireland is a deeply significant act, ensuring that generations before us will never be forgotten and generations to come will always have a living bond to those who came before.”
Liam Lynch, Executive Chairman of Studio Media said, “Our goal at Irish Studio is to discover new ways to engage our audience and uniting the Global Irish Diaspora. These two projects have been so successful we have been approached to form partnerships and broaden our scope.
"They also align with IrishCentral Storytellers where we invite our readers to share their personal stories on any Irish subject, from history to genealogy to what may have happened in their own neighborhood giving them a direct voice to the worldwide Irish community. Keeping the global Irish connection strong even during the current environment.
