• Smyth House extends to nearly 27,000 sq. ft over six storeys and offers retail and coffee shop, fully modernised private offices, customised workspaces and larger floor space for growing teams

• Grafter’s retail offering will have a barista café which will be open to the public as well as Grafter members

• Grafter inviting independent lifestyle brands interested in showcasing their products in the impressively located retail space to get in touch

Grafter, the Irish flexible workspace provider that offers members a dedicated place for work, rest and everything in between, has unveiled Smyth House, a 27,000 sq. ft. premium location in a historic landmark building at 6-7 St. Stephen’s GreenDublin 2.

Established in 2021, Grafter already operates a collection of beautifully restored buildings in the heart of Dublin city (Leeson House, Ely House and Tom’s House) and London (Bedford House). The overall aim of the Grafter proposition is to put ‘life’ back into ‘work’ by providing stylish, luxury, productive and creative workspaces that allow work and life to co-exist in harmony.

Originally the former residence of the Earls of Meath, Smyth House is a significant cultural and historic landmark in Dublin’s city centre. In the late nineteenth century, architect Thomas Drew designed the current Florentine Gothic style building as a home and business for Robert Smyth and Son’s, the famed Dublin wine merchants and grocers. In more recent years, Smyth House has been a well-known retail location, home to both Habitat and Topshop. Now, this prestigious building is offering businesses an opportunity to be part of the next chapter in its truly unique history.

Smyth House introduces Grafter’s first combined retail and café offering, open to the public as well as members. A design-led communal lounge will enable members and passers-by to meet and connect over a cup of barista coffee. Grafter’s café will be managed by recently appointed Head of Hospitality Robert Scanlon.

With 30+ years’ experience in hospitality as a manager, creative director, consultant and restaurant owner, Scanlon has worked with some of Ireland’s best-known and well-loved restaurants and venues such as Residence Private Members Club on St. Stephen’s Green (now The Grayson), Pichet Restaurant and Airfield Estate. In 2015, Robert opened Osteria Lucio Restaurant in partnership with Michelin-Star chef Ross Lewis of Chapter One.

With Grafter’s commitment to community, the firm is also inviting lifestyle brands to showcase and sell their products in the retail space. With a focus on premium Irish-made furnishings, high-quality décor and homeware pieces as well as exquisite gifts, brands looking for a home for their products should send an email to the Grafter team shop@grafterhouse.com to learn more about joining this impressive retail location.

For Grafter members, Smyth House will also offer fully-modernised, beautifully designed office accommodation behind a renowned period facade. With a total of nearly 27,000 sq. ft, Smyth House has been sympathetically renovated to offer a seamless combination of contemporary design and mature architecture that will offer a range of well-proportioned workspaces including private offices for personal use, customised workspaces for start-ups or larger floor space for a growing team.

With connection at the very heart of modern working, Grafter has dedicated 13,000 sq ft of the Smyth House floorplan to communal space including:

• 13,000 sq ft of communal breakout and design-led lounge space
• State-of-the-art meeting rooms
• Phone booths
• Private, bookable phone pods
• Fully-stocked kitchenettes on each floor, with complimentary coffee, tea, wine and beer
• Bookable hot-desks and shared workspace

The individually designed offices and meeting rooms feature state of the art technology such as high-speed fibre connectivity and video conferencing services, as well as Bluetooth controlled sit / stand desks and ergonomic chairs. To ensure Smyth House offers a seamless, plug-in experience, the technology includes:

• Cat 6 cabling throughout
• Acoustic paneling and sound dampening for privacy
• Dedicated and controlled A/C in each private office
• Dedicated comms rooms on each floor
• Fully managed wired and wireless Wi-Fi networks
• Fast, consistent and reliable web browsing on every member device, including video conferencing and VoIP calls
• Two enterprise grade, DIA circuits, including automatic transfer to redundancy line to ensure no lack in connectivity

The building also offers secure bike storage for up to 40 bikes and shower facilitates with towel services and toiletries, facilitating a healthier, more environmentally-friendly commute to work, plus plenty of live greenery to encourage fresh thinking. Members have 24/7/365 access and are supported by a dedicated onsite reception and concierge team.

Emma Kennedy, CEO of Grafter, says:

“We are very excited to add Smyth House to our growing portfolio of properties in Dublin and London. It is such a historic building and we’re extremely proud to have been in a position to refurbish it to such an exceptional standard and breathe new life into this prime location. We are excited to bring this one-of-a-kind retail element to the market. This unique retail space will be a collective to be enjoyed by passersby and members alike – whether they’re looking to enjoy a cup of barista coffee with friends or colleagues, or are searching for that ideal piece to treat themselves or a friend after a business win.

It’s a joy to be creating a portfolio of outstanding, design-led workspaces in vibrant locations that provide everything our members need for a productive, fulfilling and enjoyable day. We have chosen our buildings for their second-to-none locations and mature, period architecture, while inside, you’ll now find a totally transformed and refurbished space, with every amenity for the modern workday. We are also actively looking for new houses in Dublin, around Ireland and across London and I’m really looking forward to seeing Grafter grow over the next few months and years.”

A two-minute walk from Grafton Street, Smyth House boasts one of the best locations in Ireland – with multiple choices for dining, entertainment and shopping on the doorstep. Members can commute in easily by Dublin Bus, LUAS, DART or bike, while Dublin Airport is just 30 minutes away by car or public transport, allowing easy access for business travellers.

Find out more about Grafter here: www.grafterhouse.com

You can follow Grafter on

Linked In: Grafter

Instagram: grafterhouse

Enet, Ireland’s largest open access telecoms network provider, has today announced a significant new €6m deal with Total Splicing Solutions (TSS), an experienced provider of professional fibre optic services and resources to major telecommunication and network implementation companies.

The three year contract will involve TSS working with Enet to roll out their recently announced €50m+ expansion in fibre networks in multiple locations around Ireland. The expansion will see Enet’s fibre network connect major commercial, retail and industrial zones to increase the availability of high-capacity data transport for data centre connectivity, mobile data traffic and mission critical business traffic. The move will allow network operators and more business premises across the country to directly connect to Enet’s comprehensive telecommunications network. The work conducted by TSS on behalf of Enet will involve subduct, cabling and splicing to enable service delivery and for infrastructure build contracts.

Peter McCarthy, Group CEO of Speed Fibre Group, the home of Enet, says: “We’ve had a long and very successful relationship with TSS and we’re delighted to announce this significant new agreement. The work we will engage in together will help supporting thousands of businesses and consumers across the country with the network capacity they need to grow and prosper. By further enabling our world-class telecommunications networks, this work will also really cement Ireland’s position as an ideal location for businesses to operate in.”

Ian Coughlan, Managing Director of Total Splicing Solutions (TSS), says: “Our company is extremely pleased to consolidate its relationship with Enet, thereby continuing to develop a relationship which is now over 18 years in existence. Our expertise affords the client access to one of the most sophisticated teams of network technology professionals who are at the cutting edge in terms of technical knowledge and real-world implementation experience.”

Enet, which is part of the Speed Fibre Group, operates the largest alternative wholesale telecoms network in Ireland, which comprises of over 5,600 Km of fibre infrastructure, including the Irish State’s Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), proprietary metro networks, a unique dark fibre backhaul infrastructure, as well as one of the largest licensed wireless networks in the country.

Taken together, Enet’s infrastructure creates a fully integrated nationwide telecommunications network that is truly open access in nature, enabling retail service providers and network operators to deliver world class data connectivity services to their customers throughout Ireland and enabling them to connect internationally.

Enet also offers carriers a wide and innovative range of world-class fibre and wireless wholesale products and services, ranging from Managed Connectivity, Infrastructure Access, Direct Internet Access and white label broadband.

Total Splicing Solutions (TSS), founded in 1999, offers turnkey support in the deployment of high-performance voice, data and Internet protocol (IP) networks throughout Ireland and Europe. The company works closely with many of the leading telecommunications network providers in Ireland to deliver new innovations in installation techniques and processes. TSS also partners with cable manufacturers as well as fibre optic equipment providers to develop new products and trial new fibre optic testing equipment.

www.enet.ie

www.totalsplicingsolutions.ie

• Dye & Durham’s fourth Irish acquisition in 18 months is fuelled by the vision to create an integrated technology platform for legal firms and inhouse legal departments – led by the Keyhouse practice management system

• Dye & Durham was the headline sponsor of the Irish Law Awards 2022

• Law firm transformation competition worth up to €40,000 unveiled by Keyhouse to help firms improve internal processes and enhance efficiencies

Keyhouse, a leading provider of innovative software systems, training, and services for legal and business professionals in Ireland, has been acquired by global firm Dye & Durham, one of the world’s most prominent providers of legal, property and business technologies.

Keyhouse, established in 1991, provides innovative cloud and tech solutions to law firms, helping them deliver services more efficiently and ultimately driving greater profitability and productivity. The company, which is led by Brian Sweeney and Stephen Keogh, works with the majority of the top 500 law firms in Ireland.

The acquisition by Dye & Durham will allow Keyhouse to invest further in its technology and services so it can continue to help law firms achieve optimal results. This move will also provide clients with access to the most cutting-edge and secure cloud technologies available, while also offering Keyhouse the opportunity to expand further into international markets.

Keyhouse is the fourth Irish acquisition made by Dye & Durham over the last 18 months, joining other legal services companies including Brady and Co., Rochford Brady Group and Hibernian Legal. Keyhouse will now engage in greater integration with all third-party systems from within the wider Dye & Durham operation such as Search Facilities, Anti Money Laundering, Quote Conversion and On-Boarding applications as well as Compliance Modules.

The ultimate aim of Dye & Durham is to create a fully integrated technology platform for law firms in Ireland, led by the Keyhouse practice management system, which will provide all the necessary technology tools required by lawyers and their support teams to reduce the complexity involved in managing the vast volumes of information they deal with on a daily basis.

Building on Keyhouse’s deep understanding of the Irish legal services market and their close client relationships, Dye & Durham are also planning to establish a Client Innovation Council composed of legal industry thought leaders that will gather and develop insights on the use of digital technology in the legal profession. The objective of the initiative will be to provide all Irish legal professionals with the insights, techniques, and skills to help shape the future of the company’s solutions.

Day-to-day operations at Keyhouse will continue as normal with Brian Sweeney and Stephen Keogh remaining with the business, alongside the existing team who remain fully committed to meeting the needs of clients and delivering exceptional customer service.

In addition to Ireland, Dye & Durham also has offices in Canada, Australia, and The United Kingdom. The business, which has engaged in 30+ acquisitions since its inception, works to ensure efficient, frictionless, and secure functioning of some of the world’s largest property and legal markets, deliver vital data insights to support corporate transactions and provide essential payments infrastructure to financial institutions and their customers.

Martha Vallance, Chief Operating Officer of Dye & Durham, says:

“The addition of Keyhouse to the Dye & Durham family will deepen our industry expertise, allowing us to both reach new customers and better serve our existing client base. As we continue to execute on our international growth strategy, it is an exciting time for our company as we expand our capabilities and strengthen our global footprint.

By joining our other Irish companies, Brady & Co., Rochford Brady Group and Hibernian Legal, Keyhouse is now a critical part of the backbone of the company’s operations in Ireland. We have invested in Irish legal technology and services companies because they share the same values. They’re committed to first-class service, unparalleled domain expertise and airtight reliability. As a result, we’re delighted to welcome Keyhouse to the operation. We look forward to consolidating the impressive legacies of these esteemed Irish brands which offer a combined experience of more than 100 years serving the Irish legal profession.”

Brian Sweeney, Managing Director of Keyhouse, says Dye & Durham is an excellent fit for Keyhouse as it will mean significant benefits for clients:

“Dye & Durham began this venture because they believe in everything Keyhouse stands for and naturally, we’re delighted to have our technology, service and personnel recognised by such a prestigious international brand. This new chapter will allow us to invest further in our technology and services so that we can continue to help law firms get better results for themselves and their clients. Our focus is on helping law firms to do better, and by joining the Dye & Durham family, we can now increase our offering to clients, allowing them to continue to thrive.”

Dye & Durham was the headline sponsor at this year’s Irish Law Awards. Now in their 10th year, the Dye & Durham Irish Law Awards 2022 aim to identify, honour, and publicise outstanding achievements, while also recognising those who have dedicated their lives to serving in the legal profession in Ireland. The event took place on Friday 28th October in the Aviva Stadium.

At the event, Keyhouse announced a new Law Firm Transformation competition. Entrants will have the opportunity to win up to €40,000 worth of products and services from Keyhouse to streamline and automate their business to make it as efficient and profitable as possible. The initiative is the first of its kind globally and will give law firms the chance to access exclusive best-in-class tools that will improve internal processes and enhance efficiencies, while also providing the flexibility needed to expand a business. Law firms interested in entering will find more details at www.keyhouse.ie/law-firm-transformation.

For more information visit www.keyhouse.ie or www.dyedurham.com or

LinkedIn: Keyhouse, Dye & Durham Ireland

‘Shamrock Squad Adventures’ from RDI Hub and Dingle Hub in Kerry announced as overall winner of Champion Changemakers National Pitch-Fest 2022. The social enterprise is a community of special needs families which focuses on working with support agencies, service providers and other special needs families to make the outdoors accessible for all needs

• Shortlisted individuals and groups presented their social enterprise idea to a panel of expert judges at the National Pitch-Fest to win a Prize Bursary of supports and services valued at €10,000

• Judges included representatives from Enterprise Ireland, Woods & Partners, Rethink Ireland and Social Impact Ireland

• Funding for the ‘Champion Changemakers’ initiative secured from the Department of Rural and Community Development under the ARISE (Awareness Raising Initiatives for Social Enterprise) Scheme 2021

‘Shamrock Squad Adventures’ from RDI Hub and Dingle Hub is the overall winner of the Champion Changemakers National Pitch-Fest 2022. The groups social enterprise is a community of special needs families which focuses on working with support agencies, service providers and other special needs families to make the outdoors accessible for all needs.

Shortlisted groups and individuals took part in the National Pitch-Fest hosted at Innovate Communities, Ballymun where they pitched their social enterprise idea to a panel of expert judges from Enterprise Ireland, Woods & Partners, Rethink Ireland and Social Impact Ireland. Each idea was categorised under one of three themes – Environmental and Climate Action, Economic Inequality or Human Wellbeing. The shortlist was selected from a series of regional events that took place in community enterprise centres and enterprise hubs around Ireland in September, where participants took part in workshops and worked with local mentors to develop their idea into a social enterprise.

‘United Women’ from Action Tuam is a group of Refugee and Migrant women living in direct provision in Galway who were ‘Highly Commended’ by the judges at the National Pitch-Fest also. The women have come together to support each other and their community. Their ambition is to form a social enterprise using food to integrate communities, promote cultural identity, teach life skills, educate others on their traditions and create employment. Other ideas presented to the judges featured a new eco concrete solution, a digital support platform for new parents from minority groups, social integration through music and an online marketplace connecting lift-seekers with vehicle owners.

The overall winner, Shamrock Squad Adventures, will benefit from a Prize Bursary to the value of €10,000 which will set them on their journey towards the establishment of their sustainable and successful social enterprise and consists of key supports and services including:

• Five dedicated mentoring sessions facilitated by the Local Enterprise Network
• Idea verification processes, strategy scoping and impact framework development from Social Impact Ireland
• Access to ReThink Ireland’s ‘Start your own Social Enterprise Programme’ which will provide essential tools and guidance required to take their idea to the next level, culminating in the opportunity to pitch for investment or additional non-financial supports to the investment value of €10,000
• Legal advice from Arthur Cox on setting up a company limited by guarantee (CLG)
• For the registered company, pro-bono support about the preparation of audit exempt financial statements for the purposes of CRO Filings and compliance with the Companies Act 2014 from Woods & Partners
• Provision of dedicated hot-desking space for a 6-month period in the location of choice from participating member locations from the CEAI
• Hardware and Software kit from Acer in conjunction with Softcat plc

Siobhán Finn, National Hub Network Manager at CEAI said:

“The energy, enthusiasm and creativity we saw from the finalists at the National Pitch-Fest was amazing. It was clear every participant is passionate about tackling social and environmental issues and creating positive change in their communities. We are so grateful to our excellent judges that were involved in the National Pitch-Fest, all the enterprise centres and hubs who participated in hosting the regional events and our brilliant partners who provided the range of supports and services included in the Prize Bursary. It was a privilege to witness such a high standard of social enterprise ideas and pitches, particularly during a time where these solutions are critical in society and to the economy.

A massive congratulations from myself and all the team at CEAI to the winning idea from Shamrock Squad Adventures. Their pitch was incredible and they deserve all the success going forward. I cannot wait to follow their social enterprise journey and watch it become a reality.”

The overall winner of Champion Changemakers 2022, Shamrock Squad Adventures said:

“We are delighted that Shamrock Squad Adventures is the 2022 Champion Changemaker, awarded by the Community Enterprise Association Ireland. We have been working with amazing mentors from RDI Hub and Dingle Hub since the hackathon in September. Shamrock Squad Adventures is dedicated to making the outdoors accessible and enjoyed by everyone, regardless of their abilities, and with the support bursary from the Community Enterprise Association Ireland, we hope to accelerate the platform development.”

Pauline Gannon, Co-founder & Director of Impact, Social Impact Ireland on behalf of the judging panel said:

“Champion Changemakers has provided a platform that supports community changemakers to develop solutions to the challenges they experience within their own communities, giving national recognition and supports, to local innovation. The exemplary projects showcased today, offer real solutions to overcome real challenges within communities across Ireland. It has been a privilege to be part of the process and we offer congratulations to all the projects. The high standard made the judging very difficult but also offers great hope for the future of Champion Changemakers as it grows from strength to strength.”

The CEAI would like to thank all their partners for supporting Champion Changemakers and to the organisations contributing their time and services for the Prize Bursary including the Local Enterprise Network, Social Impact Ireland, Rethink Ireland, Arthur Cox, Woods & Partners, Acer and SoftCat plc.

Notes to Editor:

This project was approved by Government with support from the Dormant Accounts Fund. The funding allocated is part of the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2021 and is administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development in conjunction with Pobal.

About the Community Enterprise Association Ireland

Established over 20 years ago, the Community Enterprise Association Ireland, previously known as the National Association for Community Enterprise Centres (NACEC), is the country’s leading network of enterprise hubs, co-working locations, and flexible working spaces. Government-funded and supported by Enterprise Ireland, the organisation works to drive real innovation and entrepreneurship across local communities and regions.

The Community Enterprise Association Ireland achieves this by continually working to raise the overall quality, environmental and innovative performance of the sector, ensuring the national hub network continues to support the realisation of a sustainable and balanced regional development model for Ireland. As an established and respected voice of the sector, the organisation also confidently represents local enterprise centres/hubs at government level so that all new strategies, policies, and funding programmes take the needs and ambition of each community into account.

For more information visit communityenterprise.ie or follow CEAI on Twitter @CEAIreland and LinkedIn Community Enterprise Association Ireland

• 93% of Munster SMEs say they are planning to invest in their business over the next year

• Top three concerns for Munster businesses over next year are energy prices (49%), economic issues due to geo-political events (38%) and inflation / rising costs of raw material (38%)

• Top three opportunities involve attracting new customers (67%), building new supplier relationships (42%) and taking on new staff (33%)

• 36% of Munster SME’s use a credit card to finance their business – a concerning figure considering this is a high-cost funding option

89% of Munster SME’s say they are confident about business prospects and opportunities over the next 12 months despite the considerable challenges ahead, according to research conducted by Bibby Financial services Ireland, a leading provider of financial support and funding solutions to Irish SMEs.

The research shows that 53% of SME’s in Munster expect their turnover to increase over the next year. 40% say their turnover will stay the same while only 7% expect a decline in sales. Of those who say they expect their turnover to increase, 54% say it will increase between 6% and 10%, while 25% say it will increase between 11% and 20%.

The results very much demonstrate a stoic resilience amongst the Munster SME community despite the fact that they are dealing with a lot of economic volatility thanks to a range of domestic and international hurdles that are largely outside of their control.

When it comes to investment plans, 93% of SMEs in Munster say they are planning to invest in their business over the coming 12 months, with just 7% saying they have no plans to invest. Some of the key areas for investment are:

• Staff recruitment (40%)
• Machinery and Equipment (33%)
• Staff training and development (31%)
• Retaining Staff (29%)
• Digital Technology and IT (27%)
• More renewable energy options (16%)

Although the majority of SMEs are quite positive facing into the next annual period, challenges and concerns were noted, with a sense of growing uncertainty about the looming challenges ahead. Energy prices (49%), economic issues due to geo-political events (38%) and inflation / rising costs of raw material (38%) are stated as the top three concerns for Munster businesses.

That said, SME resilience shone through when asked about opportunities in the year ahead. Attracting new customers (67%), building new supplier relationships (42%) and taking on new staff (33%) are seen as the biggest opportunities for Munster SME’s in the next 12 months. 22% say trading internationally is an opportunity, while 7% cite Mergers and Acquisition activity as a prospect.

When it comes to financing their business, 84% of Munster SMEs surveyed by Bibby Financial Services say they use a form of external business finance. Among the most popular forms of financing are:

• Business loans (38%)
• Credit cards (36%) – slightly higher than the national average of 30%
• Overdrafts (29%)
• Private equity (27%)
• Invoice Finance (9%)

Given the fact that business loans, credit cards and overdrafts require a business to take on even more debt – at a time when they don’t need it – SME’s should be considering more sustainable and long term solutions such as Invoice Finance, a facility that offers businesses access to money outstanding from their unpaid invoices, helping them to access income they have already earned but not yet received.

Unlike a loan, credit card or overdraft, Invoice Finance does not involve ongoing monthly repayments. This revolving credit option means that once your invoices are paid, you can just continue the cycle – upload your invoices, draw down, use the funds and simply repeat. In addition to assisting with cashflow, it’s worth noting that Invoice Finance can also be utilised to fund a range of other growth scenarios such as investing in infrastructure or equipment, funding Research and Development, financing an expansion, Mergers and Acquisition activity or simply stabilising a business during turnaround.

49% said that the level of finance available was a key attribute they considered when choosing a finance provider, while 47% said a ‘relationship-based approach’ was important, with 31% stating that the ability to apply online was important.

Chasing unpaid invoices is the top financing issue for almost one third of Munster SME’s (33%) followed by the effective management of day-to-day cashflow (31%) and managing the risk of a customer non-payment / bad debt (22%).

Of Munster SME’s who have had to open a new business account due to the imminent departure of KBC and Ulster Bank, 50% said they found it hard to find a ‘human’ to talk to discuss their issues, while 50% said changing technology was difficult as they had to use different apps. 33% said that they had to reapply for an overdraft, which was time consuming and caused cashflow problems.

Stephen McCarthy, Head of Business Development at Bibby Financial Services Ireland, says:

“All Irish businesses, including those in Munster, are once again bracing themselves for further economic volatility thanks to a range of domestic and international hurdles that are largely outside of their control. However, rather than showing a business population anxious about the challenges they are facing, the result of our survey demonstrates a stoic resilience amongst the SME community in Munster.

The package of measures announced by the Government to support businesses and households is extremely welcome, and will help address some of the pain points in the short term, but the question now is whether it will it go far enough to ensure the long-term survival of many businesses. Only time will tell the true extent of the impact on the business landscape.

It’s important to acknowledge the resilience of Munster SMEs and their ability to adapt and change – coupled with the wide-ranging support available from the private and public sectors – and hopefully this will fuel Munster SMEs who continue to play a pivotal role in Ireland’s overall economic solidarity over the coming months.”