Dublin Chamber of Commerce
Dublin Chamber of Commerce is the largest chamber of commerce in Ireland with over 1,300 member companies. Since its foundation in 1783, Dublin Chamber of Commerce has sought to bring business people together to share ideas, to form a single voice for the local business community and to ultimately connect and grow business. The membership of Dublin Chamber employs an estimated 350,000 employees from across more than 50 industry sectors, ranging from sole trader businesses to multinational corporations. This means that Dublin Chamber is the most representative and broadly-based business group in the Greater Dublin Area.
Dublin Chamber has its ‘home’ at 7 Clare Street, Dublin 2. The current Chief Executive of Dublin Chamber is Gina Quin, who has held the position since 2001. The 2014 President is Martin Murphy, Managing Director of Hewlett-Packard Ireland, who will be succeeded in 2015 by Greg Clarke, Managing Director of Digicom.
Origins
Dublin Chamber is one of the oldest such organisation in Europe. The Chamber was founded in 1783, having been preceded by other collective bodies including the Guild of Merchants, which dated from the mediaeval period, and the Ouzel Galley Society, established at the beginning of the 18th century. Dublin Chamber's formation followed a weakening of the merchant guild system which left an opening for bodies which advocated free trade. Much of the focus of the Chamber in its early years was on abolishing impositions and opposing restrictions on export trade.
The creation of Dublin Chamber led to the formation of other chambers of commerce around Ireland, including Waterford (1787), Londonderry (1790), Limerick (1807) and Cork (1814). By 1819 there were 19 chambers of commerce operating in Britain and Ireland - a figure which rose to more than 90 by 1900. The first British federation, the Association of Chambers of Commerce, began in 1860 and included the Irish chambers. Following independence, Chambers in Ireland became members of the Association of Irish Chambers of Commerce, a body now known as Chambers Ireland.
Current Chamber Offering
The Chamber helps members to network with other businesses, maximise and grow their business and help them to understand the driving forces behind the future shape of the Greater Dublin Area. The Chamber's range of business services include:
- Networking and learning events: Dublin Chamber's events programme caters for businesses of all types and size. These include around 60 networking events each year. A highlight of the Chamber's events programme is the Annual Dinner, which is held each October and attracts more than 1,600 attendees. Previous keynote speakers at the Dublin Chamber Annual Dinner include Denis O'Brien, Bloomberg's Dan Doctoroff, Willie Walsh of International Airlines Group, newsreader Trevor McDonald OBE and Ken Livingstone, politician and former Mayor of London.
- Business advisory services: Dublin Chamber holds regular training programmes on a wide range of topics, such as procurement, business growth, green economy and sustainable development. Several business missions are also held each year to San Jose, London and Brussels.
- International trade documentation: The Export Services department in Dublin Chamber offers exporters a fully licensed certification service for ATA Carnets and Certificates of Origin, as well as visas for business, tourist or transit travel and legalisation of export documents. The department can also provide information on export regulations and customs requirements.
- Policy consultations: Dublin Chamber's policy work focuses on developing the Dublin region’s infrastructure and transport, promoting competitiveness and improving local governance. The Chamber's policy team is active in the following strategic areas: access to finance for SMEs, commercial rates, water charges, labour costs, public procurement reform, enterprise development policy. Dublin Chamber is also involved in Activating Dublin, a joint initiative with Dublin City Council which aims to generate growth and employment in the Dublin region.
Archival Material
- In 1983 a book, entitled 'Princes & Pirates: the Dublin Chamber of Commerce 1783-1983' and written by L.M.Cullen, was published by Dublin Chamber of Commerce which chronicled the first 200 years of the Chamber.
- A new updated history of Dublin Chamber is currently being written by Enda McMahon and is due to be published in October 2014.
Past Presidents
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