In the biggest and first-of-its-kind outreach to the global Irish community - estimated at 70 million people - IrishCentral.com has partnered with IrishTimes.com and Ireland.com in an innovative plan to represent each other for advertising in their markets, and work to vastly increase the readership of all three Web sites and their related print properties.

The unique partnership will allow the websites to provide an easy, one-stop platform to advertisers anxious to reach the highly desirable worldwide Irish demographic.

"This is a great step forward toward reaching the Irish Diaspora," said IrishCentral.com founder Niall O'Dowd, who has published the Irish Voice newspaper and Irish America magazine for more than a quarter-century.

"We have long been the market leader in the United States, and joining with the market leader in Ireland allows a synergy and outreach that would not otherwise be possible. The combined audience will be a powerful new force to serve advertisers and readers."

Speaking for IrishTimes.com and Ireland.com, Managing Director Maeve Donovan said, "We are delighted to work with IrishCentral.com to serve advertisers in the United States and Ireland. The combined strength of the three sites will create a unique opportunity for advertisers to communicate with the Irish Diaspora."

"The combined strength" is very strong indeed, noted O'Dowd, adding that when IrishCentral.com's surging audience is aggregated with those of Web pioneer IrishTimes.com and its Ireland.com portal, "we are looking at an existing, vibrant audience of more than 1.5 million visits every month from just the United States -- far and away the leader in reaching the Irish world.

"And that's just where the race begins," said O'Dowd.

IrishCentral.com, which launched on St. Patrick's Day, is owned by New York City-based IrishCentral LLC, and is the leading online source for Irish news from around the world. IrishTimes.com and Ireland.com are owned by The Irish Times Limited, publishers of the prestigious, 150-year-old Irish Times newspaper. IrishTimes.com is Ireland's leading news website, and Ireland.com is a popular portal site with a vibrant pulse and audience.