By Business & Finance 
Business & Finance has published the 2025 Top 100 Index, highlighting the leading companies operating in Ireland this year.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
The full list is available to download here.
Dalata Hotel Group
Dalata was founded in 2007 with the acquisition of 11 leasehold and managed hotels. During the financial crash of 2008, Dalata seized an opportunity as banks took control of insolvent hotels, managing 37 properties on their behalf and quickly becoming Ireland’s largest hotel operator. In 2014, the company floated on the London and Dublin stock exchanges, raising equity to acquire hotels across Ireland and the UK. Dalata now owns 57 hotels, with almost 10,200 rooms under its two major brands: Clayton Hotels and Maldron Hotels. From 2014 to 2019, revenue grew from €79m to €429m, with EBITDA reaching €162m. Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dalata safeguarded its business through strategic partnerships and financial measures, continuing its expansion into the UK and mainland Europe.
Dale Farm
Dale Farm, Northern Ireland’s largest farmer-owned dairy processing cooperative, reported a group operating profit of £12.2m (€13.75m), with the announcement of its latest financial accounts. The Group turnover is £504m for the 12 months to March 2020. Dale Farm is made up of more than 1,300 dairy farmers across the North, England and Scotland. The Group’s activities span the food chain, from providing farm inputs and services, to collecting and marketing its members’ milk supplies, manufacturing an extensive range of dairy consumer and food ingredient products, and distributing these to both the domestic and over 40 export markets worldwide. The firm has invested £70 million in 2024 for a new cheddar plant in Tyrone, showing continued growth.
Dawn Farms
Established in 1985, Dawn Farms is a family-owned company and the largest dedicated supplier of cooked meat and plant-based ingredients and fermented and dried sausage products outside of the US. Dawn Farms is Europe’s leading dedicated multi-species cooked meat ingredients company. Offering the most comprehensive range of fermented and dried sausage products (pepperoni, salami and chorizo) for the pizza, sandwich, snack and prepared meal sectors. Their extensive product range is further complemented by a growing selection of other cooked protein options to meet today’s developing consumer trends. They are a family company with a global reach, exporting to over 44 international markets and proud to supply many of the world’s leading food brands from our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Ireland, Germany and the U.K.
Dawn Meats
Dawn Meats was established in Co. Waterford, Ireland in 1980, and has grown to a business with over €2bn in annual revenue, employing over 7,000 staff in twelve countries. As a family-owned business Dawn Meats remains true to its farming heritage through the close relationships it has forged with over 15,000 Irish farmers. Dawn Meats is a winner of Ibec’s Environmental Business Process award, Bord Bia and SEAI sustainability awards and in 2019 received the Diversity and Inclusion award at the Bord Bia Food and Drink awards. Dawn Meats became the first food processor to achieve the Business Working Responsibly (BWR) Mark across all of its plants in Ireland in 2019 and was named Best Sustainable Meat Producer and Sustainable Supply Chain Achievement Award at the 2020 Green Food & Beverage Producer Awards.
DCC
DCC is a leading international sales, marketing and support services group with a clear focus on sustainable growth. DCC is an ambitious and entrepreneurial business operating in 21 countries, supplying products and services used by millions of people every day. Building strong routes to market, driving for results, focusing on cash conversion and generating superior sustainable returns on capital employed enable the Group to reinvest in its business, creating value for its stakeholders.
Headquartered in Dublin, the Group operates across three sectors: energy, healthcare and technology, employing over 15,500 people. DCC plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100. In its financial year ended 31 March 2022, DCC generated revenue of £17.7 billion and adjusted operating profit of £703.6 million.
Diaceutics
Diaceutics has grown significantly since its inception in 2005 and now works with 21 of the top pharma companies in the world. Diaceutics has become a leader in innovative solutions that enable pharma to leverage diagnostic testing globally. In October 2020, the company launched DXRX – The Diagnostic Network®, the world’s first diagnostic commercialisation platform for Precision Medicine. In just a year of its launch, DXRX delivered 57% of total group revenues. Diaceutics was listed on AIM in March 2019 and has grown significantly with 25%+ annual growth year-on-year. Diaceutics continues to invest in the development and commercialisation of the DXRX platform and has raised approximately $50m in funding.
Ding
Ding was founded to improve people’s lives by helping those with less gain access to more. As the number one international mobile top-up service in the world, Ding has been keeping people connected since 2006, when it launched this first-of-a-kind service. Today, Ding’s customers have successfully sent more than 500million top-ups globally via the app, at Ding.com, in over 600,000 retail outlets across the globe, or via its expanding API-partner network. Ding delivers a top-up every second, via 550+ operators, across 140+ countries – helping families and friends around the world to stay connected. The Dublin-HQ’s firm has more than 220 employees worldwide, with five offices around the world.
Dole plc
Dole plc is a global leader in the production, distribution, and marketing of fresh fruits and vegetables, offering a portfolio of over 300 product lines. Its produce is grown and sourced both locally and internationally from more than 80 countries. With a vertically integrated and advanced supply chain, Dole delivers produce to the market in optimal condition, aiming to provide high-quality service to customers and fresh, reliable products to consumers. The company focuses on continual improvement in its operations, with the goal of generating consistent, industry-leading returns for all stakeholders.
E+I Engineering
E+I Engineering is the largest electrical switchgear manufacturer in the UK and Ireland, specialising in in-house, integrated power solutions tailored to individual client projects. The company places strong emphasis on its workforce, having built a highly qualified and experienced team of Chartered Engineers operating across manufacturing facilities on three continents. With over 30 years of experience, E+I Engineering delivers high-quality integrated power solutions, offering expert technical services, project management, and dedicated customer support for each project.
eir
eir is the principal provider of fixed-line and mobile telecommunications services in Ireland, with approximately 2 million customers. The company has the most extensive telecommunications network in Ireland, both in terms of capacity and geographic reach. eir provides a comprehensive range of advanced voice, data, broadband and TV services to the residential, small business, enterprise and government markets. eir’s mobile division operates under the eir Mobile and GoMo brands. In addition, eir’s wholesale division, open eir, is the largest wholesale operator in Ireland, providing products and services across a range of regulated and unregulated markets. eir Group revenue for the year 2024 was €1.32 billion, and Adjusted EBITDA was €614 million.
Energia Group
Energia Group is a leading integrated Irish energy business with substantial operations in both the ROI and Northern Ireland. The Group primarily operates across three business units: Renewables, Flexible Generation, and Customer Solutions. With offices in Dublin, Galway, Cork, Belfast, Antrim, and Omagh, Energia Group supplies almost 20% of the island of Ireland’s total electricity requirements and 25% of the island’s total wind power meeting the energy needs of 800,000 homes and businesses with competitive electricity and gas services provided through its two retail brands Energia and Power NI.
The Group supplies close to 1.3 Gigawatts of green power to the market, including power from 15 owned and invested wind farms on the island and also operates two major gas-fired power stations in north County Dublin. Energia Group employs 920 people and is one of only 40 companies to have achieved the Business Working Responsibly mark from Business in the Community, the leading independently audited standard for CSR and Sustainability in Ireland.
Ergo
Ergo is a leading provider of IT services in Ireland. Our ability to tailor solutions to each client’s unique requirements has been our calling card for over 27 years. What’s changed is the scope and diversity of what we do. Through business-first engagements, we are increasingly focused on leveraging leading-edge technologies that help clients on their digital transformation journeys. We started out in 1993 with eight people supplying print components. Today, we work with some of the largest companies in Ireland, delivering enterprise-wide solutions that drive productivity and profitability.
Over the years, we have mirrored the seismic shifts in the way IT solutions are delivered and consumed, constantly upskilling our experts and reinventing our role in the IT value chain to give our clients the support and expertise they need to stay competitive and succeed. The milestones in our development (below) not only reflect the way our company has evolved, but also the way the entire IT landscape has been transformed. We’ve made it our business to embrace change and lead from the front.
ESB
The Electricity Supply Board (ESB) is Ireland’s oldest state-owned electricity company and a key player in the nation’s energy sector. Historically operated as a monopoly, ESB has evolved over recent years, transitioning into a commercial semi-state body and now competing with other energy suppliers. As one of Ireland’s largest companies, ESB employs over 7,000 people and provides electricity to more than 1.4 million customers across the island. Currently, the company generates 27% of Ireland’s electricity capacity and manages a regulated asset base valued at €13.2 billion. ESB continues to play a pivotal role in Ireland’s energy infrastructure, driving innovation and sustainability within the industry.
First Derivative
Driven by people, data and technology, First Derivative is a managed services and consulting business, and one of the world’s leading Capital Markets consultancies. It is part of FD Technologies plc, a group of data-driven businesses that unlock the value of insight, hindsight and foresight to drive organisations forward. Counting many of the world’s leading investment banks as clients, First Derivative helps its clients navigate the data-driven, digital revolution that is both disrupting and transforming the financial services sector. The Group operates from 15 offices across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific and employs more than 2,500 people worldwide.
Fenergo
Increasingly recognised as the industry leader for Client Lifecycle Management technology solutions, Fenergo is the technology of choice for financial institutions seeking to simplify compliance processes and satisfy high customer expectations for a seamless digital experience. The company was launched in Dublin in 2009 by Marc Murphy and now employs over 850 people across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. In 2021, Fenergo was acquired by private equity firms Astorg and Bridgepoint, affording the firm Unicorn status. As it enters its next phase of growth, Fenergo is focusing investment on its SaaS strategy and building its team globally while enabling financial institutions to achieve growth faster.
Fexco
Founded and headquartered in Killorglin, County Kerry, Fexco is one of Ireland’s most successful indigenous multinationals with over 40 years’ experience in financial services, fintech and business solutions, serving people, businesses, and communities globally. Fexco has over 2,800 employees worldwide, including over 900 in Ireland. Fexco is privately owned and independent, and operates in an agile and flexible way, which enables a culture of innovation and disruption. It creates its own successful businesses, but also co-creates to develop and operate best-in-class services for its customers and partners. Fexco processes over €34 billion in annual transactions globally, has over 322,000 merchants and 60+ acquiring bank partners globally. Fexco has built a global network of partners and customers and is an internationally admired and respected organisation that contributes to its communities both at a national and regional level.
Flutter Entertainment
Flutter Entertainment plc, formerly known as Paddy Power Betfair, was formed through the merger of Paddy Power and Betfair in February 2016. The company rebranded to Flutter Entertainment in 2019, reviving the name of a betting exchange acquired by Betfair in 2001. Flutter owns a diverse portfolio of global betting and gaming brands, including Paddy Power, Betfair, Sky Betting & Gaming, PokerStars, and FanDuel. The group has established a strong presence in the U.S. market, where FanDuel holds a leading share of the regulated sports betting sector.
In January 2024, Flutter completed a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “FLUT,” and in May 2024, it designated New York as its primary listing while retaining a secondary listing in London. The move reflects the company’s strategic focus on North America. Flutter reported $11.79 billion in revenue for 2023, a 25% increase year-over-year, largely driven by FanDuel’s growth, and initiated a $300 million share buyback in 2025 as part of a broader repurchase programme.
Gas Networks Ireland
Gas Networks Ireland operates Ireland’s national gas transmission and distribution system, consisting of approximately 14,725 km of pipeline. It supplies gas to around 725,000 customers, supporting sectors including heating, power generation, manufacturing, and transport. The company is transitioning the network to accommodate renewable gases such as biomethane and hydrogen, with a long-term goal of a net-zero gas network by 2045. In 2023, Gas Networks Ireland invested €148 million in infrastructure and injected over 61 GWh of biomethane into the grid. Headquartered in Cork, it also operates Aurora Telecom, a national dark fibre network.
Glanbia
Glanbia is a better nutrition company, home to ingredients and consumer brands that aim to help people live healthy lives.
Headquartered in Ireland with 5,800 employees around the world, Glanbia uses insight-and science-led outputs to create healthier, smarter products that meet the ever-evolving needs of our consumers and partners.
Glanbia serves high-growth end use consumer trends – growing consumer interest in healthy lifestyles; convenience and snacking; health and immunity and focus on physical and mental health.
Glanbia’s Performance Nutrition business is the no.1 branded sports nutrition business in the world, with a growing position in lifestyle nutrition. Its mission is to the inspire people everywhere to achieve their performance and healthy lifestyle goals. Brands include Optimum Nutrition, the world’s no.1 sports nutrition brand.
Glanbia’s Health and Nutrition business is a leading innovation partner to the global food and beverage industry with strong market positions in premix solutions and flavour solutions. Glanbia’s Dairy Nutrition business is a scale dairy platform and provider of protein solutions and is one of the largest producers of American-style cheddar in the world.
Glen Dimplex
Glen Dimplex is a privately owned, Irish headquartered, international manufacturing group with a 50-year heritage, operating across four product areas: Heating & Ventilation, Precision Cooling, Flame and Consumer Appliances. With a diverse range of market-leading brands and products, Glen Dimplex serves professional and consumer customers through a variety of distribution channels. Its largest division, Heating & Ventilation, offers electric products and solutions for new build and renovation of domestic and commercial buildings under some of the most recognisable brands in the market, such as Dimplex. Glen Dimplex offers a portfolio of products and solutions that span living and working environments, all created with a simple and shared mindset of helping customers to transition to a more sustainable world by empowering them in their everyday lives.
Grafton Group
Grafton is an international, trade-focused, multi-channel distributor of construction products, renowned for its commitment to quality in both the products it distributes and the services it provides to its customers. With operations across several countries, the Group has established strong market positions in the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
Grafton aims to leverage these leading positions to further expand its presence in merchanting and related markets internationally. The company is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. Its growth strategy focuses on delivering excellent customer service, maintaining high product standards, and capitalising on opportunities to extend its reach across diverse global markets within the construction industry.
Greencoat Renewables
Greencoat Renewables PLC is an owner and operator of renewable infrastructure energy assets. With a portfolio of over 1,493 megawatts of combined capacity of renewable energy, the Company is the largest owner of renewable energy assets in Ireland and is continuing to expand its presence in the very large secondary markets of continental Europe, where it sees significant opportunity. In addition to Ireland, it currently has assets in France, Finland, Spain and Sweden.
Central to the Company’s strategy is growing a successful business that not only enables the transition to a net-zero carbon economy but also positively impacts the communities and local environment in which it operates.
Greencoat Renewables PLC was listed on the Euronext Growth Market of Euronext Dublin and the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in July 2017. In late 2021, the Company surpassed €1 billion market capitalisation. It is managed by Greencoat Capital LLP, an experienced investment manager in the listed renewable energy infrastructure sector.
Greencore
Greencore is a leading manufacturer of convenience food in the UK, with a stated purpose of making everyday food taste better. Its operating model, known as The Greencore Way, is built around four core differentiators: People at the Core, Great Food, Excellence, and Sustainability. This framework reflects both the company’s identity and its strategic approach to achieving success.
Greencore supplies all major UK supermarkets, as well as convenience and travel retail outlets, discounters, coffee shops, foodservice providers, and other retailers. It holds strong market positions across several categories, including sandwiches, salads, sushi, chilled snacking, chilled ready meals, soups and sauces, quiche, ambient sauces and pickles, and frozen Yorkshire puddings.
In FY21, the company produced 645 million sandwiches and other food-to-go items, 117 million chilled prepared meals, and 256 million bottles of sauces, pickles, and condiments. It also completed over 10,500 direct-to-store deliveries daily. Greencore operates 16 manufacturing sites across the UK, equipped with advanced technology and supply chain capabilities. Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, the company employed approximately 13,000 people and generated revenues of £1.3 billion in FY21.
ICON
Since its foundation in Dublin in 1990, ICON has grown to become a global leader in clinical research and a provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. From a small team of 5 people in 1990, ICON has grown to employ over 13,380 people across 97 locations in 38 countries, through a mixture of organic growth and strategic acquisitions.
ICON opened its first US office in Philadelphia in 1992 and began trading on the Nasdaq exchange in 1998. ICON now employs 4,600 in the US. In its recently reported third-quarter 2019 results, ICON posted record net business wins in the quarter of $931 million with a book-to-bill of 1.31. Quarter 3 reported revenue of $710.4 million, representing strong year-on-year growth of 8.5% or 9.5% on a constant currency basis. Adjusted earnings per share attributable to the Group of $1.74, a robust increase of 12.9% over Q3 2018.
Year-to-date adjusted earnings per share attributable to the Group of $5.06, a 13.0% increase over the prior year. CEO Dr. Steve Cutler commented, “ICON’s quarter 3 results show continuing growth and represent a strong endorsement of our overall strategy. “Given our strong progress this year, we are increasing our 2019 revenue guidance from a range of $2,760 – $2,840 million to a range of $2,790 – $2,830 million, and we are increasing earnings guidance from a range of $6.75 – $6.95 to $6.81 – $6.95.”
Intercom
Intercom is a leading all-in-one customer communications platform, designed to help businesses drive faster growth by fostering better relationships with their customers. With more than 25,000 companies relying on Intercom’s comprehensive solution, the platform is widely used by sales, marketing, and support teams to enhance customer engagement and streamline communications.
Intercom serves a variety of industries, including financial services, e-commerce, education, and healthcare, delivering tailored solutions to meet diverse needs. The company operates globally, with offices in San Francisco, London, Chicago, Dublin, and Sydney, ensuring quality support and services for its international clientele. Through its innovative approach, Intercom continues to transform customer communications and deliver lasting value for businesses worldwide.
