Dublin Chamber of Commerce also known as the Dublin Chamber, is the oldest
chamber of commerce in Ireland.
Origins
![Dublin Chamber of Commerce](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Dublin_Chamber_of_Commerce.jpg)
The Dublin Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1783.
It had been preceded by other collective bodies including the Guild of Merchants, which dated from the mediaeval period, and the
Ouzel Galley Society, established at the beginning of the 18th century. Dublin Chamber's formation followed a weakening of the merchant guild system which left an opening for bodies which advocated free trade. Much of the focus of the organisation in its early years was on abolishing impositions and opposing restrictions on export trade.
Travers Hartley served as the first president of the Chamber from 1783 to 1788.
The creation of Dublin Chamber led to the formation of other chambers of commerce around Ireland, including Waterford (1787),
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
(1805), Cork (1819), and Londonderry (1885). By 1819, there were 19 chambers of commerce operating in Britain and Ireland, and a federation, the Association of Chambers of Commerce, was created in 1860 to include the Irish chambers. Following independence, the chambers in Ireland became members of the Association of Irish Chambers of Commerce, a body now known as
Chambers Ireland.
In 1996,
Mary Finan
Mary Finan (born 2 August 1944) is an Irish businesswoman who worked in public relations. She was the first woman to serve as president of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, and served as the last chair of the RTÉ Authority.
Life
Finan was born o ...
was appointed president of the Chamber, the first woman to hold the position.
Notable past presidents
Notable former presidents have included:
*
Arthur Guinness II (1827-1855)
*
Malcolm Inglis (1900-1902)
*
Andrew Jameson (1921)
*
Henry Morgan Dockrell
Henry Morgan Dockrell (17 April 1880 – 26 October 1955) was an Irish Cumann na nGaedheal and Fine Gael politician who was elected to both Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann.
Early life
Dockrell was born on 17 April 1880 at the family home, ...
(1933)
*
Eddie Kelliher (1978)
Further reading
* ''Princes & Pirates: the Dublin Chamber of Commerce 1783-1983'' written by L.M. Cullen and published in 1983 by Dublin Chamber of Commerce ().
* ''A Most Respectful Meeting of Merchants: Dublin Chamber of Commerce'' written by Enda McMahon and published in 2014 ().
References
{{Reflist
Economy of Dublin (city)
Chambers of commerce
Organisations based in Dublin (city)
1783 establishments in Ireland