GEC 25 Year Impact Report 2026 - Flipbook - Page 5
Foreword
Twenty-five years ago, Dublin City Council joined a group
of determined partners to turn a disused Guinness
hopstore in the Liberties into something genuinely
transformative. What we created was the Guinness
Enterprise Centre — and I can say with confidence that it
has exceeded every ambition we had for it.
Dublin City Council's involvement was never simply
financial, though we contributed significantly to the
construction and development of the original building. It
reflected a conviction that Dublin 8, one of the city's
oldest and most characterful communities deserved to be
at the forefront of Dublin's economic future. Enterprise,
properly supported, is one of the most powerful tools of
urban regeneration we have. The GEC proved that
beyond any doubt.
The numbers speak for themselves. Companies, many of
them clients of the LEO Dublin city, that have grown within
the GEC have generated €2.5 billion* in cumulative
turnover and contributed thousands of jobs to the Irish
economy. In 2025 alone, GEC-based businesses
generated close to €140 million in turnover, supported
employment of over a thousand people and returned an
estimated €31 million to the Exchequer. These figures
represent real careers, real livelihoods, and real value
created in the heart of Dublin 8.
The transformation of Dublin 8 over the past decade has
been remarkable, and the GEC has been central to it. The
wider Guinness Quarter is now one of the most exciting
urban regeneration stories in Ireland - a place where
heritage, innovation, hospitality and community are
coming together in a way that few cities manage to
achieve.
A key strength of the GEC is that it operates on its own
terms without direct annual State subvention of its
running costs, generating its own revenue and
reinvesting back into the ecosystem. This makes the
partnership between Dublin City Council, Enterprise
Ireland, Diageo, Furthr and the other founding partners
all the more meaningful - this was always about building
something sustainable, not something dependent.
Looking ahead, I have no doubt that the appetite for
innovation, entrepreneurship and home-grown
enterprise in this city is stronger than ever. The GEC is well
placed to meet that moment - as a platform for founders, a
cog of the ecosystem and an anchor for the continued
growth of Dublin 8 and the broader Liberties area.
Dublin City Council stands fully committed to this
partnership and the continued success of the GEC and
Dublin 8, and we are determined to ensure that the next
25 years are every bit as impactful as the first.
Richard Shakespeare,
Chief Executive,
Dublin City Council
*adjusted to account for currency conversion and inflation over the period
3
4
5
