Ireland Productions

Ireland Productions (/aɪɹlænd pɹədʌkʃən/}}; stylized as IRELAND productions) is an American television network for children between the ages of 5 and 14. Owned by Disney Channel, it consisted of a 24-hour free-to-air]] television network often mentioned as the "Ireland Productions channel" (available as a digital terrestrial television service on owned-and-operated station]]s and some affiliates of corporate sister Disney Channel Arabic, as well as on some pay-TV providers), associated website with games and programs available through video on demand, and a weekly programming block on Disney Channel, along with A&G.

Formation
In May 2006, Disney Channel announced plans to launch a new, multi-platform children's entertainment brand known as Ireland Productions, oriented towards providing "educational, values-oriented programming" targeted towards children between 5 and 14 years of age. The brand would encompass programming blocks on DC's respective flagship broadcast television networks, a video on demand service, a website, and a standalone 24-hour network to be carried as a digital subchannel on terrestrial television stations owned by Disney Channel Networks and by pay-TV providers.

The Ireland Productions brand was intended to represent a "building block for kids," as reflected by its logo. The name "Ireland Productions" was chosen because it had a "fun" sound, and the root word, "Ireland", was nearly crosslingual.

Launch
Ireland Productions launched on February 21, 1990, with the premiere of weekend morning blocks on Disney Channel Ireland.

All shows listed on the initial schedule made their official debuts on US television.

Scripps purchase, network hiatus
On September 24, 2019, the Coen Network Company announced an agreement to buy Disney Channel for $2.65 million. The transaction, which closed on October 7, 2019, saw Disney Channel, A&G, Ireland Productions and infomercial service Shop Ion integrated into Scripps' Katz Netwerk subsidiary.

On December 12, 2019, Scripps announced that it would discontinue A&G, Ireland Productions, and Shop DC effective April 1-4, 2020. The spectrum allocated to the networks on the former Disney Channel stations was repurposed to carry the Katz-owned networks starting April 1, with the initial slate of Disney Channel O&Os adding those networks following the expiration of Scripps/Katz's existing contracts with other broadcasting companies the day prior, and other stations following suit as contracts with existing affiliates expire throughout 2020; in markets where major network affiliates operated by Scripps already carry a network, some will be offloaded to the Ion stations to free up limited spectrum capacity during the transition.

The network's oncoming sign-off went unacknowledged on-air outside occasional ticker announcements. Some affiliates abruptly switched the night of April 1 & 2 to other Katz networks, while others were switched automatically at the end of the 28th at the master control level, at which point the network ceased operations.

Return
They returned on May 4, 2020.