Help Us to Rescue Endangered Historic Structures Before they are Lost Forever
Annette McCaul (An Taisce Membership), Karaugh Brown (Friends of An Taisce Board Chair, Sinead Owens (An Taisce Properties Manager), Gary Freemantle (An Taisce CEO).
Dear Friends,
Imagine standing on a windswept headland along the Wild Atlantic Way. Beneath your feet, a timeworn stone path stretches onward. You are standing in the footsteps of your ancestors. Their lives are still etched into the bones of this land.
For Irish Americans, this is more than a beautiful vista. It’s a homecoming to the stories that shape us all. The cliffs that watched as the Milesians forged their legends, that sheltered Oisín and the Fianna, and that wept as famine ships sailed west. This is the place where Brian Boru united kingdoms and Grace O’Malley defied queens. But our culture, courage and craft didn’t just shape Ireland — it crossed the Atlantic. It’s in the hearts of the Irish diaspora who built lives and went on to thrive in places like Boston, New York, New Orleans and San Francisco.
We are asking you to help us to protect our shared Irish story.
Each forgotten and neglected traditional farmhouse, castle, cottage, shopfront, bogland or forest that we can preserve in our unique landscape is another important thread helping to mend the tapestry of our shared heritage.
At An Taisce – The National Trust for Ireland, we work every day to safeguard these treasures. An Taisce is the Gaelic word for treasure! For over 75 years, our mission has been to protect Ireland’s historic buildings, cultural landscapes, coastlines, and biodiversity — ensuring that the Ireland you know and love in your heart will endure for generations to come. Today, I'm writing to you to tell you about a wonderful initiative we are undertaking with a new organisation called the Friends of An Taisce, USA.
An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland, has long championed the protection of our built and natural heritage. While our work in education and environmental advocacy remains strong, heritage is to the forefront of our mission
Heritage is of course more than a link to our past—it is a living resource with the power to shape our future. An Taisce and the Friends of An Taisce USA, supported by the wonderful 1772 Foundation, share a deep commitment to protecting our historic places, ensuring they remain vibrant and meaningful for generations to come. Thoughtful stewardship can drive sustainable tourism, economic revitalisation, and community well-being.
As we plan the future of heritage conservation in Ireland, we must expand our vision beyond urban centres and prominent landmarks to embrace the wealth of vernacular buildings that define the character of our regional towns, villages, and rural landscapes. These traditional farmhouses, cottages, shopfronts, and other small-scale structures are tangible expressions of Irish cultural heritage, reflecting local craftsmanship, materials, and ways of life that have shaped our communities for generations.
However, many of these buildings are now vacant, derelict, or at risk of being lost forever. This presents both a challenge and a remarkable opportunity. By prioritizing the adaptive reuse and conservation of these buildings, we can transform these spaces into vibrant spaces, and community hubs, breathing new life into rural and regional areas of Ireland. This aligns with An Taisce’s distinctive role in heritage advocacy: emphasizing the potential for heritage to drive community revitalization, address housing shortages, and foster a deeper connection to place.
In particular, An Taisce is committed to turning dereliction into opportunity through conservation-led redevelopment. By working with government agencies, local authorities, and private stakeholders, we want to create pathways for restoring these buildings in a way that respects their historic character while meeting modern needs.
By adopting a holistic approach that values both built and natural heritage, we can unlock the potential of our vernacular architecture to contribute to Ireland’s economic, social, and environmental well-being. We see this as not just preserving the past but about creating a future where heritage is a living, dynamic resource that enriches our communities. By learning from the successes of Main Street USA for example, we can establish a framework for managing heritage properties, fostering conservation-driven employment, and enhancing community engagement.
Our landscapes, from the Wild Atlantic Way to the Wicklow Mountains, are as much a part of our heritage as our historic buildings. To safeguard these vital resources, An Taisce advocates for Holistic conservation approaches that recognise the interdependence of natural and built heritage.
This is where Friends of An Taisce USA comes in. Your support will help us to rescue endangered historic structures before they are lost forever, putting new life into them for community use and Public enjoyment. We can preserve cultural landscapes that inspired Ireland’s poets, artists, and storytellers across the Emerald Isle and also protect fragile habitats that make Ireland’s natural heritage unique in the world.
By donating, sharing our mission with your community, or organising a heritage event, you become a guardian of the places and stories that connect Ireland and America. Your part is crucial to our success. We simply cant do it without you! So Im asking you to seize this moment to affirm your dedication to protecting, celebrating, and revitalizing Ireland’s rich heritage for generations to come. Together, we can ensure that when you, your children and grandchildren come home to Ireland, they will find the same magic — the same beauty, history, and spirit — still alive and waiting for them.
With gratitude and hope,
Gary Freemantle