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Fáilte ar ais! Welcome back to the Wikimedia Community Ireland podcast — our first episode of 2026!

In this special episode, we're celebrating Wikipedia's 25th birthday with a look back at how it all began, how Wikimedia Community Ireland was founded, and how the Irish language has become central to our work.

We're joined by founding members Shannon and Eugene Eichelberger, who share their memories of discovering Wikipedia, their first edits, and how a trip to the pub after an edit-a-thon in 2014 led to the creation of WCI.

We also introduce Laura, our new Irish Language Officer, and reflect on the growth of Vicipéid (Irish-language Wikipedia), which now has over 60,000 articles — all written by volunteers.

In this episode:

• How Wikipedia launched 25 years ago as a radical experiment in collaborative knowledge
• Shannon and Eugene's first impressions and first edits
• The origin story of Wikimedia Community Ireland
• How the Irish language focus evolved and why it matters
• The role of Vicipéid in language revitalisation
• What excites the team about 2026

Links:

• Learn more: wikimedia.ie
• Vicipéid (Irish Wikipedia): ga.wikipedia.org
• Wikipedia's 25th anniversary: wikipedia.org

Go raibh maith agaibh as éisteacht! Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with anyone who loves free knowledge.

Welcome to the Wikimedia community Ireland podcast, your portal to free knowledge and Irish culture.

Intro contains Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/kevin-macleod/achaidh-cheide
License code: JBQCMVAHZIMU692D

Sign up to our newsletter at wikimedia.ie or follow us on social media @wikimediaie to keep up to date with upcoming events all over Ireland in 2025!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share it with your friends or on social media. Together, we can make Ireland’s heritage accessible to all. Until next time, keep exploring and celebrating our shared history.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh as éisteacht linn, thank you very much for listening!

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Have you ever wondered what it's like to live in a castle? Descendant of United Irishman Robert Emmet, Thomas Emmet and his family live at Altidore Castle, which is both home, a museum and an Organic rewilding estate, in Kilpedder, Wicklow (with a fascinating past!).

As the Events and External Relations Officer at Historic Houses of Ireland (HII) and Vice President of European Historic Houses’ Next Generation board, our guest is breathing new life into Heritage Work. To celebrate the launch of Wiki Loves Monuments, we welcomed him to the podcast, fresh off the back of a week of sold-out tours for Heritage Week, during which his historic home opens up to the public.

Thomas Emmet's role at HHI supports the organisation's mission to represent over 200 historic houses across Ireland and to revitalise them in the process. Thomas spoke to us about his heritage work, involvement in festivals around Ireland and the history of the castle and his unique family legacy of commitment to social justice and political activism. He also gives our listeners some great tips for taking photos of built-heritage sites for the Wiki Loves Monuments 2025 photography contest.

About Thomas Emmet

Thomas Emmet is the Events and External Relations Officer for Historic Houses of Ireland and Vice President of European Historic Houses’ Next Generation board. He is passionate about heritage and works to help houses open to the public and host festivals and events. He is also a huge advocate for progressive politics and currently works on fundraising for candidates running for election. Additionally, he helped found an anti racism network in Wicklow. He is in the process of taking over the management of Altidore Castle (Co. Wicklow) and plans to open it to the public further with events around biodiversity and heritage preservation.

About Historic Houses of Ireland

Historic Houses of Ireland (HHI) represents and supports Ireland’s privately owned historic houses and castles, regardless of size or renown, sharing their architectural and cultural heritage with the public. Through advocacy, guidance, and events like guided tours, lectures, and cultural programs, HHI helps its members preserve and celebrate Ireland’s built heritage while fostering engagement with diverse audiences.

• Enter Wiki Loves Monuments 2025 here.
• Find all resources mentioned in this podcast here.

Welcome to the Wikimedia community Ireland podcast, your portal to free knowledge and Irish culture.

Intro contains Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/kevin-macleod/achaidh-cheide
License code: JBQCMVAHZIMU692D

Sign up to our newsletter at wikimedia.ie or follow us on social media @wikimediaie to keep up to date with upcoming events all over Ireland in 2025!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share it with your friends or on social media. Together, we can make Ireland’s heritage accessible to all. Until next time, keep exploring and celebrating our shared history.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh as éisteacht linn, thank you very much for listening!

Send us Fan Mail

Did you know that only 2% of the forest cover in Ireland is made up of native trees?

On this episode, Oisín Ó Néill, one of the Directors of the Gaelic Woodland Project discusses his journey from solicitor to grassroots environmental advocate, emphasising the critical link between local action and policy change. We also discuss all things biodiversity in Ireland. He tells us about the unregulated invasive species cherry laurel, and the broader issues facing Irish forestry, like non-native plantations, overgrazing by deer and why it may not be time for wolves to make a comeback in Ireland.

Gaeilge is also a central part of the Gaelic Woodland Projects' work. We discuss how natural heritage and linguistic heritage are connected and how we are still seeing the impacts of Ireland's colonial history manifest in our natural environment today.

This episode was recorded as part of the Wiki Loves Earth 2025 Campaign and photo competition. You can find out how to enter and win prizes here.

If you're attending Bloom festival this year, Oisín will be at the Sustainable Living Stage on Saturday at 16:45 for a discussion panel about invasive species. Tickets for the festival are available via Ticket Master.

Resources Mentioned:

• The National Biodiversity Data Centre offers a range of resources on pollinator-friendly plants that won’t play havoc on our ecosystems, including species and guidelines for gardens.
• Protecting Woodlands and The Cherry Laurel Project.
• Hometree charity
• Rhodedenderon Rangers
• Mary Renyolds
• Gaelic Woodland Project Instagram @gaelicwoodlandproject
• Website: gaelicwoodlandproject.com
• National Parks and Wildlife Service

Welcome to the Wikimedia community Ireland podcast, your portal to free knowledge and Irish culture.

Intro contains Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/kevin-macleod/achaidh-cheide
License code: JBQCMVAHZIMU692D

Sign up to our newsletter at wikimedia.ie or follow us on social media @wikimediaie to keep up to date with upcoming events all over Ireland in 2025!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share it with your friends or on social media. Together, we can make Ireland’s heritage accessible to all. Until next time, keep exploring and celebrating our shared history.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh as éisteacht linn, thank you very much for listening!