Offaly company celebrates 25 years in business with special project

An Offaly company is celebrating 25 years in business with an oak tree planting and time capsule project

This year marks a proud milestone for The Factory, a small family-run print and graphic design studio located 10 minutes outside Birr, Co. Offaly.

Founded in 2000 by Brendan and Gina Dooley, The Factory has grown into a thriving, sustainability-focused business now employing 12 team members, including their daughters, Lisa and Leanne, and Brendan’s brother, Colman.

To mark 25 years in business, The Factory hosted a very special community celebration on Friday, April 11. In keeping with their commitment to supporting the environment, they partnered with Rath National School (Scoil Naomh Eoin) to plant 25 oak trees on their 5.5-acre site, creating a commemorative oak grove that will grow along with the next generation.

Joining the celebration were 25 pupils of Rath NS’s along with their teacher Susan McDonnell and SNA Deirdre Hollywood. The children not only took part in the tree planting but also presented a special project they had prepared on the theme of oak trees. Several pupils shared their findings with attendees before rolling up their sleeves to help plant the young trees.

A highlight of the day was the burying of a time capsule, “sewn” into the earth alongside the saplings. Filled with handwritten letters from all 150 pupils of Rath NS, each child wrote to their future selves, sharing hopes and dreams for the years ahead. In 2050, 25 years from now, the capsule will be unearthed and the letters posted back to each pupil’s home, a lasting reminder of their part in this special day.

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Local horticulturist and social farmer, Catherine Rountree, was on hand to guide the children through planting the bare-root saplings. She also gave an engaging talk on the environmental benefits of trees, inspiring young minds and encouraging plenty of thoughtful questions and shared knowledge.

The team at The Factory are deeply grateful for the support of their community over the past 25 years and were honoured to celebrate this milestone in such a meaningful way.