Fingal Chamber has represented business in north Dublin since 1994, growing from one hotel meeting room in Swords into the accredited voice of business across the county. What follows is how that happened, and what it means for your business today.
What three decades built
- A single accredited Chamber for the whole county. Two amalgamations, in 2011 and 2024, brought the region's chambers into one body rather than leaving them to compete.
- A seat at the table. Thirty years of standing is why the Chamber now holds seats on all four Fingal County Council Strategic Policy Committees.
- Services built on what members asked for. Skillnet training, the Business Awards and the annual business survey each began as a response to a member need, not a plan on paper.
How it started
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.
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.
What the Chamber built along the way
Some of what began as an experiment became permanent. Fingal Chamber Skillnet now delivers subsidised training to member workforces across the county. The Business Awards have run since 2002 and remain the largest gathering of Fingal business in the calendar. The annual survey gives every policy submission a Fingal evidence base rather than a general argument.
Others served their purpose and closed. 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.
Today the Chamber brings together over 1,000 members across more than 300 organisations, from start-ups to global multinationals.
Become a member and add your business to the next chapter.
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.
How the Chamber has changed for you
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.
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.
Where we go next
The Chamber's focus for the years ahead is straightforward: stronger advocacy on the costs and constraints members report, a network that converts into actual business, and training matched to the skills gaps Fingal employers name.
Local Business Forums are on the way, and members will be first to hear the details.
Be part of the next chapter
Thirty years of standing is worth something only if it works for the businesses here now.
Become a member or talk to the team about what membership would give your business.
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