A new social networking site aimed at connecting the Irish disapora has been unveiled at the Global Irish Economic Forum.
WorldIrish.com is a national website aimed at fostering stronger relationships between Irish people and "those who think Irish." It is believed to be the first attempt anywhere to introduce a platform linking a country to its diaspora.
The idea of a portal with economic, cultural, political and sporting links for Irish people at home and abroad and those interested in Irish issues arose out of the first Global Economic Forum held at Farmleigh in September 2009.
The new website is the brainchild of John McColgan, co-founder of Riverdance and the television production firm Tyrone Productions.
“The timing of a project like this is opportune as Dublin is now the leading capital for social media with the presence of giants such as Facebook, Google, LinkedIn and most recently Twitter. You don’t have to be Irish to be WorldIrish – anyone with an affinity with Ireland and Irishness from anywhere in the world can join,” said Mr McColgan.
A feasibility study into the study was funded by Mr McColgan and businessmen Denis O’Brien and Dermot Desmond. Mr McColgan was also behind a conference hosted by Gateway Ireland last year, which looked at creating greater links with the Irish diaspora.
The website was initially meant to go live in time for St Patrick's Day but was delayed. The site is currently in beta and a range of applications and features are expected to be rolled out over the coming months,
To date €3 million has been raised for the project, out of which almost €1 million has been spent getting the website to where it is today. Additional investment is now being sought.
