Love From Ireland 

Love From Ireland combines technology with the power of post

Gwen Ryan launched Love From Ireland from her Burren in 2024 with a simple premise: people still love sending and receiving physical cards but the process needs to be easier. 

From her home in Ballyvaughan, Co Clare, Gwen Ryan’s Love From Ireland combines the convenience of online technology with the enduring power of a card arriving through the letterbox. Gwen, originally from Dublin, established the business in September 2023, and launched the website LoveFromIreland.ie in January 2024. 

The concept is simple: customers create postcards online, which are then printed on FSC-certified cardstock and posted by hand. “The idea for LoveFromIreland.ie was gestating for many years,” Gwen explains. “I used to love sending and receiving holiday postcards but often struggled to figure out the postal system when I was abroad. 

“We all take holiday photos and usually they are photos of our best selves that we really want to share. The Internet enabled me to combine these two elements – to remove the sticking points when it comes to getting the physical card in the post by allowing the creation of the card online with the opportunity to send a photo as the postcard.”

A5 Wow Factor 

Initial testing revealed that while people loved the convenience of sending real cards without hunting for stamps, some were hesitant about using their own photographs. Gwen’s response was to collaborate with Irish artists and photographers, who now receive a fee per sale when customers choose from their collections. After approaching artists she knew personally, she put out a call via Visual Artists Ireland, attracting further contributors. 

Privacy concerns prompted another innovation - the option to post cards in envelopes rather than as open postcards. Living in the Burren, surrounded by natural beauty, sustainability was built into Gwen’s process from the outset. The business sources FSC-certified cardstock from an Irish supplier and uses environmentally friendly printing inks. What makes the cards particularly distinctive for recipients is their size. All are printed A5 format, carrying what Gwen describes as “that wow factor when they come through the letterbox”.

An Post Relationship

Marketing on a limited budget has presented challenges. Gwen acknowledges she doesn’t naturally gravitate towards social media and is conscious of a certain irony in using it to promote offline connection. “I am keenly aware of the incongruence of capturing people’s attention on social media because I want to help people connect offline,” she notes. Instead, the business has benefited from partnerships with guesthouses and destination pubs promoting the service, alongside organic discovery and word of mouth.

An Post plays a fundamental role in the venture’s success, with every card passing through the postal network. “An Post is a lovely company to deal with”.

While Gwen doesn’t generally read the cards customers send, she has noticed they’re particularly popular with people wanting to connect from afar, not for specific occasions but simply to reaffirm friendships. The bulk sending service has found favour at Christmas and with newlyweds sending thank you cards. At Christmas, customers can upload their mailing list and Love From Ireland handles all the printing and posting.

Bulk Service

For Gwen, the enduring appeal of physical cards is clear. “We live in a world where so much of our communication is taking place online, so a postcard stands out. It has become a gesture that costs very little yet means so much.”

The Christmas season is naturally crucial for the business, given Irish people’s enduring fondness for sending seasonal cards. Gwen’s pitch to those considering cards over texts is straightforward. “We offer the opportunity to create your own unique Christmas card, and when using our bulk mailing service you can personalise the message for each recipient in much the same time it takes to write a text message. 

“Once you have decided what you want to say and you upload your address list on the spreadsheet we share with you, and we take care of the rest. If you are looking for something that will stand-out as uniquely personal, or if you are time-poor in the run up to Christmas, this is an ideal option.”

Love From Ireland’s Christmas card range is available at lovefromireland.ie/collections/christmascards