EMEA vice-president and head of Google in Ireland, Fionnuala Meehan. Image: Google
Internet giant Google marks 15 years in Dublin with €1m investment in local city communities.
Google’s total headcount in Dublin now stands at 8,000 people, the internet giant revealed today (5 November), and 1,000 of those positions were filled in the last year alone.
The company today marked 15 years in Ireland. It first opened serviced offices in Dublin’s Harcourt Street in 2003 with just five employees.
‘We’ve seen great social action on our own doorstep in Ringsend and Irishtown, and this is an opportunity for us to partner with community groups and social entrepreneurs in order to bring their ideas to life’
– FIONNUALA MEEHAN
Today, Google’s Irish operations span the entirety of the company’s businesses including Ads, YouTube, Cloud, Geo and data centre operations as well as boasting the second-largest engineering team in Europe. More than €1bn in capital investment has been undertaken by the company in Ireland over the last 15 years.
During the year, we reported that Google was undertaking the largest redevelopment in the city, at Bolands Quay. When completed, the development will include commercial, residential, cultural and retail space.
2018 was the strongest hiring year ever for Google Ireland, with 1,000 new employees joining the company, bringing the total workforce to 8,000 people, including full-time Google employees and contracted staff.
Google said today that the Dublin team is one of the most diverse employed by any company in Ireland, spanning 70 nationalities and 75 languages spoken, and supporting customers in more than 100 markets throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The Foundry, Google’s flagship event centre, has hosted more than 170,000 guests from 40 different countries, at just shy of 1,000 events since 2013. Taking into account operational costs, capital investment and business tourism generated, The Foundry has supported an annual GDP contribution of €6.7m to Ireland since 2013.
Community impact
From left: Stuart McLaughlin, Google; Fionnuala Meehan, Google; Bernard Brogan, Dublin GAA; Dolores Wilson, St Andrews Resource Centre; Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Nial Ring; and Mary Rose Burke, Dublin Chamber. Picture Conor McCabe Photography
To mark its 15th year in Dublin, Google has launched the Dublin Impact Challenge to support non-profit innovators and social entrepreneurs in local communities across Dublin. As part of a €1m investment, Google is inviting non-profits, social enterprises and educators to submit bold ideas to grow social and economic opportunities in their communities.
Google will select 15 proposals, with each receiving €50,000 in grant funding. Of the 15, four projects will be selected by Google’s panel of judges and will receive an additional €50,000 worth of grant funding.
“Over the years, we’ve supported many local projects through Google.org and Google Arts & Culture but this is our biggest outreach yet to supporting local community endeavours and we’re very excited to bring the Google.org Impact Challenge to Dublin,” said EMEA vice-president and head of Google in Ireland, Fionnuala Meehan.
“We want to tap into innovation across the city to support great ideas to build stronger communities. We’ve seen great social action on our own doorstep in Ringsend and Irishtown, and this is an opportunity for us to partner with community groups and social entrepreneurs in order to bring their ideas to life,” she added.
