Founded in 1948, An Taisce (pronounced “ahn tash-ka”) is one of Ireland’s oldest and largest environmental organizations. An Taisce is an independent charity that works to preserve and protect Ireland's natural and built heritage. 

Writing in the fiftieth anniversary issue of An Taisce's journal, Living Heritage, Professor Frank Mitchell, founder member and later President of An Taisce, described the organization's beginnings:

"As World War II drew to a close in the forties, many individuals and organizations concerned about the environment realized that peace would be followed by very large development both of cities and the countryside. The need in the south of Ireland for a body such as the National Trust for England and Wales which would monitor such developments was acute, and the interested parties came together in the premises of the Royal Irish Academy to found a holding body, the Association for the Preservation of Places of Interest or Beauty in Ireland, a foundation which later grew into An Taisce - The National Trust for Ireland.