Friends of An Taisce: Update & Community Introduction Events
Ethiel Garlington, Executive Director 1772 Foundation, Introducing Friends of An Taisce to the Irish American Community.
The past few months have been an exciting and productive time for Friends of An Taisce. Not only have we launched our new website and begun posting regularly across our growing social media platforms to raise awareness of our mission to save Ireland’s heritage buildings, but we have also initiated the formal process of applying for 501(c)(3) charitable status. In addition, we proudly hosted our first introductory event for the Irish-American community in New York—an occasion supported and attended by the Consul General of Ireland, Mr. Gerald Angley.
Our mission at Friends of An Taisce is to champion the work of An Taisce – The National Trust for Ireland, with particular focus on the Historic Properties Redevelopment Project, developed in collaboration with the 1772 Foundation and with the support of the National Trust for Scotland USA. This project is vital to safeguarding Ireland’s built heritage by identifying derelict or endangered historic buildings and working to secure a future for them before they are lost forever. Our goal is to ensure that as many of these irreplaceable structures as possible are protected, restored, and preserved for generations to come.
On October 15th, 2025, our inaugural introduction event was held at the Doris Duke Center in New York City. The evening brought together leaders from across the Irish-American community to learn more about our work and vision for Ireland’s heritage. Hosted by the 1772 Foundation, Ethiel Garlington, Executive Director, opened the program by underscoring the deep cultural and historical ties between Ireland and the United States.
Karaugh Brown, Chair of the Board of Friends of An Taisce and Chief Advancement Officer at the Whitney Museum of American Art, introduced Friends of An Taisce as an innovative and timely initiative supporting the National Trust for Ireland. Gary Freemantle, CEO of An Taisce, then shared a brief history of the organization and spoke passionately about the urgency of protecting Ireland’s fragile heritage. In his remarks, he stated:
“And this is why your support is so vital. Every act of generosity — every referral, every introduction — is not simply funding restoration. It is giving Ireland’s story another chapter. It is ensuring that our children and grandchildren will inherit not only history in books, but history they can walk through, touch, and be inspired by. And for Irish Americans part of their home coming to the stories that shaped us. We Irish are a nation of storytellers. But stories live best when they have a stage — and our heritage buildings are those stages. With your support, we can make sure the stages do not crumble, that the stories are not silenced, and that the spirit of Ireland continues to shine brightly for generations to come.”
Simply put, Irish Americans have an opportunity to invest in the next chapter of Ireland’s cultural story. By supporting this work now, we can protect vulnerable historic buildings and ensure they remain meaningful touchstones for future generations—preserving a living connection to Ireland’s past.
We look forward to hosting additional introduction events in the coming months, with gatherings planned in Washington, D.C., Boston, and Philadelphia. We are deeply appreciative of the encouragement and interest we have received so far and invite you to join us in spreading the word about our mission.