Ireland Reaching Out

Ireland Reaching Out, also known as Ireland XO, is a non-profit, volunteer and community-based organization headquartered in Galway, Ireland. It was founded by Mike Feerick in 2009. The organization aims to build lasting links between the Irish diaspora and the civil parishes in Ireland. Currently, the organization has more than 100,000 members around the world with 32 volunteer networks across Ireland, including Northern Ireland. Background and history In Ireland, civil parishes are regarded as administrative offices; they possess civil records of their parishioners who emigrated to another country. Through a network of volunteer-based groups, Ireland Reaching Out uses these records to help Irish descendants rediscover their family history. The organization first started as a pilot project in South East Galway, Ireland, in 2009. During the Irish recession in the late 2000s, Irish social entrepreneur Mike Feerick wanted to help the rejuvenation of the Irish economy by tapping into the power of this Irish diaspora. He said that "There are 70 to 80 million people with Irish heritage, living around the world. Many of them don’t even have an idea that they have their roots on the island. And each of them has a connection to at least one Irish parish."