Almost every Irish family has someone across the water: a sister in London, a son in Manchester, a cousin in Glasgow or Birmingham. They've built a life there, but ask them where home is and they'll still name a town in Mayo or a road in Cork.
For Christmas, birthdays or a big move, a map of that place is one of the most meaningful things you can send them.
Why it means so much
Photos of home are lovely, but they show one moment. A map shows the whole place: the road they grew up on, the school, the pitch, the chipper, the church where they made their Communion. Hanging on a wall in a London flat, it's a daily reminder of where they came from.
Ideas for what to map
- Their hometown or village, with the family home at the centre
- The parish or townland, for those who come from the countryside
- Their GAA club grounds, for the ones who still check the county results every Sunday
- The place they met their partner, if it happened in Ireland
- Where they live now, as a housewarming gift for their first UK home
What to write on it
- Home
- Where we grew up
- Always home
- The place that made us
- Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin
For more wording ideas, see our list of 40 lines for a map print.
Sending it to the UK
Orders delivered to the UK are placed through our Etsy shop, with free UK delivery, and you can send it straight to their address. Pick the listing for the occasion and fill in the place, names, date and the words you'd like in the personalisation boxes. You can play with the design in our editor first and copy the details across. Every print is made to order, checked by hand before it prints, and usually arrives 7 to 12 days after you order.
For Christmas, order framed prints by 7 December and unframed by 14 December. See our Christmas order dates for the details.
A tip for families
If brothers and sisters are spread across Ireland and the UK, order one print of the family home for each of them. Same map, same words, on walls in different countries. It's a lovely way to keep everyone connected to the same place.