Fingal Chamber is the independent, member-led voice of business in north Dublin. If you run or lead a business here, membership gives you representation where decisions are made, connections that lead somewhere and practical support you can put to use.
We have been doing that since 1994.
Why businesses join
- Your voice carries further. We hold seats on four Fingal County Council Strategic Policy Committees, so your interests are represented before policy hardens, not after.
- You meet the people worth meeting. Curated introductions, B2B meetups and flagship events across more than 300 member organisations.
- You build capability. Fingal Chamber Skillnet delivers subsidised training that closes the skills gaps members actually report.
- You gain credibility you can display. The Chamber mark signals membership of a vetted, accountable network to your own customers and partners.
- You save time and money. Discounted trade documentation, HR and compliance guidance, member discounts and business research you receive rather than only contribute to.
Who we represent
Our members range from sole traders and start-ups to global multinationals, across the sectors that drive the Fingal economy:
- Commerce and trade - retail, wholesale and international business
- Professional services - legal, financial, consultancy and business support
- Transport and logistics - underpinned by Dublin Airport and strong road, rail and port links
- Manufacturing and pharma - pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing and medtech
- Agri-food - a sector rooted in Fingal's heritage, with strong exports and food innovation
- Construction - residential, commercial and infrastructure development
- Hospitality and tourism - from coastal towns to historic sites and major events
- Information technology - multinationals and SMEs driving digital innovation
- Aviation - anchored by Dublin Airport, a global hub for airlines and aviation services
- Retail - local enterprises and major shopping destinations
That spread matters. It means no single sector shock threatens the whole membership and it gives our advocacy a broad evidence base to argue from.
Why we exist
Our purpose. We exist to help north Dublin's businesses succeed, and to turn that success into wider gains for the region - its economy, its jobs and its communities.
Our vision. A Fingal where a fast-growing economy and a high quality of life reinforce each other, where business investment funds the region's growth and that growth makes Fingal a place people choose to live and work.
Our mission. We connect members to each other and to opportunity, advocate for Fingal business in local and national decision-making, and deliver practical support that helps them grow.
Our values
The principles that shape how we lead, decide and act:
- Courage - we speak up wherever decisions affecting business get made.
- Collaboration - we build trust and opportunity through partnership.
- Integrity - we are honest, fair and transparent.
- Inclusivity - we represent every business and value diverse voices.
- Sustainability - we make responsible choices for long-term prosperity.
Where your voice carries
Advocacy is the part of membership you cannot get anywhere else, and it rests on access that is a matter of public record.
- Seats on four Fingal County Council Strategic Policy Committees and the Local Community Development Committee. No other business representative body in the county holds them.
- Registered lobbying. Fingal Chamber is a registered lobbyist under the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015, so our engagement with public officials is returned to a register anyone can search.
- Evidence, not assertion. Our positions are built on the annual Business Environment and Economic Outlook Survey, run with South Dublin, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and County Kildare Chambers.
- A national and EU route. Accreditation by Chambers Ireland connects your evidence to a network representing 8,500 businesses, and on to European level.
We campaign on four priorities the survey evidence supports: the cost of doing business, transport and connectivity, housing and employment land, and skills and talent.
Because we are funded by member subscriptions rather than by government or shareholders, we can say what members need said. That independence is the point.
Become a member and add your business to the collective voice of Fingal enterprise.
What membership delivers
Every event, service and programme sits under one of seven areas, so you always know what you are getting.
- Connect - introductions, meetups and events that lead somewhere
- Influence - collective representation where decisions get made
- Develop - leadership and workforce training through Fingal Chamber Skillnet
- Promote - profile, media opportunities and digital promotion for your brand
- Support - compliance guidance, HR webinars, research and business resources
- Trade - trade missions, study trips and discounted trade documentation
- Belong - the standing that comes with membership of the recognised voice of Fingal business
Fingal Chamber in numbers
- Over 1,000 members across more than 300 organisations
- 300 training programmes reaching almost 1,000 staff in 250 companies
- More than 5,000 certified trade documents issued
- 492 attendees at the Fingal Business Awards
- Part of a Chambers Ireland network representing 8,500 businesses
You can read what members say about the return they get on the Success Stories page.
Our History
In 1994, a group of business leaders in Swords set out to build a stronger, better connected business community. They began in a small meeting room at the Forte Crest Hotel, now the Maldron Hotel Dublin Airport, with no offices, no staff and no funding beyond what members put in themselves.
The organisation they founded covered Santry to north of Swords, including the airport. Everything since has been an extension of that first decision.
Two amalgamations brought the county's chambers together rather than leaving them to compete: D15 Chamber in 2011 and North Dublin Chamber in 2024. That is why we cover the whole county today, from Balbriggan to Santry and from Howth to Castleknock, and why we are the only Chambers Ireland accredited Chamber in the region.
Milestones
- 1994 - Swords and District Chamber of Commerce was established, covering the area from Santry to north of Swords, including the airport.
- 1998 - The Chamber opened full-time offices, appointed its first Chief Executive, Tony Lambert, and joined the national chamber network, today Chambers Ireland.
- 2000 - Fingal County Council moved to Swords, and the Chamber became Swords Fingal Chamber of Commerce.
- 2002 - The first Business Awards ceremony was held at the Great Southern Hotel, hosted by Miriam O'Callaghan.
- 2004 - The Chamber moved into new offices at Chamber Buildings on North Street, Swords.
- 2007 - The Business Awards moved to the new conference centre at the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport.
- 2011 - D15 Chamber amalgamated into Fingal Dublin Chamber, creating a single accredited Chamber for the whole Fingal region.
- 2017 - Tony Lambert retired and Anthony Cooney took up the role of Chief Executive.
- 2019 - Fingal Dublin Chamber Skillnet launched, bringing accessible and affordable training to member workforces.
- 2020 - Through the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chamber promoted public health measures and connected members to economic supports.
- 2021 - Members voted to simplify the name to Fingal Chamber.
- 2021 - The Greater Dublin Chamber Alliance partnered with Adare Human Resource Management to give members HR support.
- 2022 - The annual business survey was established, now the Business Environment and Economic Outlook Survey, to identify member concerns and steer policy work.
- 2023 - The Chamber moved into its current offices at Dublin Airport Central.
- 2024 - North Dublin Chamber amalgamated, consolidating the region's chambers into one accredited body.
Leadership through the years
Tony Lambert shaped the Chamber twice over. He served as its first President from 1994 to 1996, then became its first Chief Executive in 1998 and led the organisation until he retired in 2017. Anthony Cooney has held the role since.
Alongside them, a voluntary President and Board elected from the membership have steered the Chamber through each stage of its growth. You can see who held the role and when on the Past Presidents page.
What has changed, and what has not
The membership has changed, so the offer has changed with it. Early members joined for local connections and discounted landline calls. Today they join for advocacy access, Skillnet training in areas like artificial intelligence and sustainability, export documentation and a members' platform that works between events as well as at them.
Some things ran their course. The Community Fund pooled member contributions into grants for local projects before being discontinued, on the grounds that other bodies fund community work at a scale the Chamber could not match. Convening businesses around practice is the thing no one else in Fingal does, and that is where the effort went instead.
What has not changed is where the direction comes from. The survey, the Business Council and the renewal conversation all exist to keep the offer answering to members rather than to habit.
How we're governed
Fingal Chamber is a company limited by guarantee without share capital, and an independent not-for-profit funded by voluntary member subscriptions and service-related revenue.
A voluntary Board of eight directors holds the strategy and oversees delivery. It includes the Chairperson and President, the Vice President and recent past presidents, and it is elected by the membership.
The Business Council steers our policy priorities and tests positions before publication. Its members are senior representatives drawn from across the membership, spanning industries and business sizes, and they serve without pay.
Day-to-day work is delivered by a full-time team led by the Chief Executive, who is responsible for managing the organisation.
Join us
Your business already operates in one of Ireland's fastest-growing counties. More than thirty years of standing is worth something only if it works for the businesses here now.
Local Business Forums are on the way, and members will be first to hear the details.
Become a member or compare plans and pricing to find the tier that fits your business.