Doylestown Man Will Take Over Ireland's Twitter Account

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Since traveling to Ireland on a business trip five years ago, Robert Young has been getting in touch with his Irish roots.

As managing director of an investment firm in the United States, the Doylestown resident was invited to the island in 2015 to give several speeches. He found his Irish colleagues were eager to help him trace his Irish ancestry, something Young has always been interested in but never quite found the time to conduct his own research. After taking a DNA test, Young was able to connect with several living relatives in his home country.

"It was one of the best experiences of my life," Young said. "The big takeaway for me was the sacrifices that people made to get parts of their family to the U.S."

The country's tourism bureau thought his story might be compelling to other Americans interested in tracing their Irish heritage, he said, and they invited him to take over the @Ireland Twitter account for one week to share his experience.

After writing about the trip, Young was eventually encouraged by several of his peers to begin work on a documentary series that features people like him who have connected with their distant relatives.

"I assembled a team, and we've gathered thousands of people that have turned over their family trees to us," Young said.

Production on "A Journey Home" was halted in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Young hopes to resume work on the films once a vaccine is available.

Young will commence his second takeover of the @Ireland Twitter account the week of Oct. 5 - Oct. 12. He plans to use the platform to discuss his Irish heritage and his upcoming documentaries.