Privacy Policy
Irish America 250 | America Éire — Last updated: June 11, 2026
1. Who we are
Irish America 250 ("Irish America 250," "we," "us," "our") is a nonpartisan, national initiative dedicated to honoring and celebrating the contributions of the Irish and Irish Americans to the United States since its founding. Our digital storytelling platform at americaeire.org (the "Site") invites members of the Irish diaspora to share their stories and helps create a digital time capsule of Irish America at this pivotal moment.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect the information you provide when you use the Site or participate in our storytelling campaign.
By using the Site or submitting a story, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
2. Information we collect
We collect information in the following ways:
Information you provide directly
When you participate in the Irish America 250 storytelling campaign or interact with us, you may provide:
- Contact details such as your name, email address, mailing address, and country or region of residence
- Story content, including written narratives about your family's journey from Ireland, how and why your people came to live where they do, how you maintain connection to Ireland, and how you express Irishness today
- Family-history details, such as where in Ireland your ancestors or relatives came from, approximate dates or periods of emigration, ports of departure or arrival, and significant events in your family's story
- Photographs and other media, including images of people, family documents, places, or objects related to your story
- Any other information you choose to include in your submission or when you contact us
Information collected automatically
When you visit the Site, we may automatically collect:
- Technical information such as your IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, and referring website
- Usage information such as pages visited, time spent on pages, links clicked, and general interaction patterns
We may collect this information through cookies and similar technologies (such as log files and analytics tools).
3. How we use your information
We use the information we collect for purposes including:
Story collection and publication
- To receive, review, organize, and curate the stories, photographs, and related materials that you submit.
- To publish selected stories and images on the Site, each with its own dedicated webpage as a record of that family's journey.
Digital time capsule and archival purposes
- To create and maintain a long-term digital record or "time capsule" of Irish American experiences during the 250th anniversary period and related commemorations.
- To preserve the history, resilience, and ongoing contributions of the Irish diaspora as part of the broader story of the United States.
Outreach and promotion
- To highlight and promote stories (or excerpts from them) through our social media channels, email communications, video content, and other campaign materials, in order to encourage others to share their stories and to foster a collective "people's history" of Irish America.
Communications and administration
- To contact you about your submission (for example, to clarify details, request additional information, or inform you if your story is being featured).
- To send updates about the campaign, related events, or other Irish America 250 activities where you have opted in or where allowed by law.
- To respond to questions, comments, or requests you send us.
Site operations and improvement
- To operate, maintain, and improve the Site, including monitoring performance, understanding how visitors use the Site, and enhancing content and user experience.
Legal and compliance
- To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal obligations, and to protect our rights, the rights of our contributors, and the integrity of the project.
4. What information may become public
A core purpose of this project is to share stories publicly and create a record of Irish America that can be read by others now and in the future.
When you submit a story and consent to publication, the following types of information may be made public:
- Your story text, including descriptions of your family's journey, your connection to Ireland, and how you express Irishness today
- Photographs or other media you choose to submit, where appropriate for public display
- Identifying information you choose to include in the story itself (for example, names of family members, towns or counties in Ireland, and U.S. locations)
- A display name or attribution (such as your name, initials, or a pseudonym), depending on the options offered and what you select when submitting
We will not publish your backend contact details (such as your email address or full mailing address) unless you explicitly ask us to do so in your submission and we agree that it is appropriate.
Because online publication and social media sharing can extend beyond our direct control, we strongly encourage you not to include highly sensitive, confidential, or private information that you would not be comfortable sharing publicly or being preserved in a long-term archive.
5. How we share your information
We do not sell your personal information.
We may share information in the following circumstances:
Public storytelling and outreach
As described above, stories and images you submit may be published on our Site and featured in our communications and social media channels as part of the campaign.
Service providers and partners
With trusted service providers who help us operate the Site, host web content, process submissions, analyze usage, manage communications, or support our events. These service providers are only allowed to use your information to perform services on our behalf and must protect it appropriately.
Research and educational partners
In some cases, and where appropriate, we may collaborate with academic, cultural, or research partners to help interpret, preserve, or share the collected stories and data in line with the mission of Irish America 250. Where required, we will seek additional consents or apply measures such as aggregation or de-identification.
Legal or safety reasons
When we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to comply with laws or legal processes, respond to lawful requests, or protect our rights, property, safety, or the rights, property, or safety of contributors and the public.
Organizational changes
If the stewardship of the project or its archival materials is transferred to another nonprofit or cultural institution with a similar mission (for example, a library, museum, or archival repository), we may transfer relevant records so that the digital time capsule can be preserved.
6. Cookies and analytics
We may use cookies and similar technologies to:
- Recognize your browser or device
- Understand how users navigate and use the Site
- Improve content, layout, and performance
You can usually adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable cookies, some features of the Site may not function properly.
Where we use third-party analytics tools (such as widely used web analytics services), those providers may set their own cookies and collect information about your use of the Site in order to provide us with aggregated statistics and insights. We do not use analytics providers to identify you personally.
7. Children's privacy
The Site and storytelling campaign are primarily intended for adults and older youth who are able to understand and consent to public sharing of their stories. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without appropriate verifiable consent from a parent or legal guardian.
If you are under 13, please do not submit a story or provide personal information through the Site without the involvement of a parent or guardian.
If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without appropriate consent, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.
8. International visitors
If you access the Site from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States and possibly other countries where our service providers operate. Data protection laws in these countries may differ from those in your country of residence.
By using the Site or submitting information, you acknowledge this transfer and consent to the processing of your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
9. Data retention
Because this project is intended to serve as a digital time capsule, we may retain submitted stories and associated materials for a long period of time, consistent with our mission to document the Irish American experience in and around the 250th anniversary of the United States.
We will retain other personal information (such as contact details held in our administrative systems) for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.
Where appropriate, we may anonymize or aggregate information for historical, research, or statistical purposes so that it no longer identifies individuals.
10. Your choices and rights
Depending on where you live and the laws that apply, you may have certain rights in relation to your personal information, such as the right to:
- Request access to the personal information we hold about you
- Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information
- Request that we delete certain information, subject to legal and project-based retention needs
- Object to or request restriction of certain uses of your information
- Withdraw consent for certain types of processing where consent is the legal basis
Because this project has a historical and archival dimension, removing published stories or materials may not always be possible or may be handled by applying context, corrections, or partial redactions rather than complete deletion. However, we will review reasonable requests on a case-by-case basis and will explain what can and cannot be done in light of our mission and legal obligations.
To exercise your rights or to ask questions, please contact us using the details below.
11. Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the information we collect from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.
However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is entirely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, and you submit information at your own risk.
12. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the law, or the project's needs. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and may provide additional notice where appropriate (for example, on the Site or by email).
Your continued use of the Site after any changes means you accept the updated Privacy Policy.
13. Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, or if you wish to exercise your rights, please contact:
Irish America 250 | America Éire