Young Ireland: Buy Irish

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'Young Ireland: Buy Irish Campaign' was a group active in second level schools and some colleges in the 1980's. It was originally founded by a teacher at Oaklands College, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin.

In 1992 Young Ireland was relaunched by founder Erick Dillon in Dublin.He had been an original member back in the 1980's when he set-up a group at his school, St. Joseph's CBS, Fairview.

They published a newspaper call B.I.G ( Buy Irish Goods) which was distributed throughout secondary schools. The movement held a number of exhibitions, published articles in local media and produced a video, sponsored by Opel Ireland called 'The Choice'. It featured interviews with the manager of Irelands Soccer team, Jack Charlatan, together with Senator Fergal Quinn of Superquinn supermarkets, Arnold o'Byrne who was Managing Director of Opel Ireland and Mr. Jim Teeling a business studies teacher at St. Josephs CBS, Fairview Dublin. It also featured interviews with students from various schools including Bannagher Secondary School, Offaly.

The aim of Young Ireland was to create jobs by urging people to buy Irish where the price and the quality was right. Organised through the educational system, it was financially backed by FAS and many Irish companies,including Superquinn, Avoca Handweavers, Fiacla Toothpaste, FAS, Opel Ireland, Lir Chocolates, Cavan Crystal, Beeline Healthcare to name but a few.It had two logos, the oldest being a circle of Y's representing people around a centre point. The latest version evoked a more celtic, shamrock style.

The organisation closed in 1995 following a successful 3 year sponsored campaign.