From Startup Dreams to Startup Success: StartUp Ballymun Turns 10

StartUp Ballymun celebrates ten years of supporting entrepreneurs, startups and small business owners across North Dublin

This year’s event, themed “Steering a Business in Choppy Waters”, takes place on Wednesday 10 June at Ballymun Civic Centre and marks a significant milestone for  Dublin’s longest-running community entrepreneurship initiative.

Role of Ballymun Area Office, StartUp Ballymun

Supported by the Ballymun Area Office of Dublin City Council since its launch in 2016, StartUp Ballymun has welcomed more than 1,000 attendees, featured over 90 speakers and become one of Dublin’s longest-running community entrepreneurship initiatives.

Founded in 2016 by Liam Barry (Dublin City Council) and Billy Linehan (Celtar Advisers),  StartUp Ballymun was created to encourage entrepreneurship, self-employment and enterprise development in Ballymun and across North Dublin. This year’s event, themed “Steering a Business in Choppy Waters”, will explore the realities of starting, growing and sustaining a business in an increasingly uncertain environment.

To book and for more details: StartUp Ballymun 2026

What has remained consistent throughout those ten years is the event’s focus on practical experience and innovation. Attendees hear directly from people who have started businesses, overcome setbacks, secured customers, grown teams and navigated the challenges that come with building an enterprise.

Reaching a tenth anniversary is a notable achievement for a community-based enterprise initiative. Over that period, Ireland has experienced economic growth, a pandemic, major technological change and shifting business conditions, yet the event has continued to provide a platform for entrepreneurs to learn, connect and develop new opportunities.

A Milestone Year, StartUp Ballymun Turns 10

The 2026 event reflects the reality facing many entrepreneurs today. Rising costs, economic uncertainty, rapid technological change and increasing competition continue to create challenges for business owners. The speakers and panellists this year have all faced those challenges in different ways and will share their experiences with attendees.

The event will be formally opened by Warren Cray, Head of Enterprise at Dublin City Council.

Return of Gavan Walsh

One of the highlights of this year’s programme will be a fireside conversation with Gavan Walsh, hosted by Liam Barry. Gavan is founder of iCabbi, the cloud-based taxi dispatch software company that grew from Ireland to serve taxi and private hire operators in dozens of countries worldwide.

In a first for StartUp Ballymun, Walsh becomes the first entrepreneur to be invited back as a featured speaker. His return provides an opportunity to reflect not only on his own business journey, but also on how Ireland’s startup ecosystem has evolved over the past decade.

Entrepreneurs Building Businesses Today

The 2026 entrepreneur panel reflects the diversity of modern Irish entrepreneurship.

• Deirdre McCarthy, founder of FLIT.ie, has built a platform focused on improving financial literacy and financial wellbeing.
• Keith Walsh of ExamRevision.ie has helped develop an online learning platform supporting secondary school students preparing for examinations.
• Joanna Frivet founded LegalMoov, a legal technology platform designed to make legal services more accessible.
• Niamh Mooney and Ciara Gache are the founders of Don’t Kill My Vibe, a contemporary Irish jewellery brand that has built a growing customer base through design, creativity and strong branding.
• Conor Moules is co-founder and CEO of  Barespace , an AI-powered software platform serving the hair and beauty industry.

Together they represent the diversity of modern Irish entrepreneurship, from education and financial literacy to legal technology, jewellery design and AI-powered software.

More than a Speaker Event

A key part of StartUp Ballymun’s success has been its ability to bring entrepreneurs together with the organisations that support enterprise development.

Representatives from Enterprise Ireland, LEO Dublin City, Dublin Northwest Partnership, Ballymun 4 Business and The Innovation Hub will be in attendance, alongside experienced business mentors and advisers.

For many attendees, these conversations can be as valuable as the formal programme itself, creating opportunities for networking, collaboration and access to supports that may help move a business forward.

A Decade of Partnership

The continued success of StartUp Ballymun reflects the collaboration between entrepreneurs, business networks, support agencies and Dublin City Council over the past ten years.

The sustained support of Dublin City Council through the Ballymun Area Office has been a key factor in the event’s development, helping create a consistent platform for entrepreneurship and enterprise in North Dublin. That long-term commitment has enabled the event to continue evolving while remaining accessible to local entrepreneurs and business owners.

A Decade of Support from Irish Tech News

Irish Tech News has covered StartUp Ballymun throughout much of its journey, reporting on speakers, startup founders and local business success stories connected to the event. That coverage has helped bring the stories of Ballymun and North Dublin entrepreneurs to a wider national and international audience. The organisers would also like to acknowledge the support of Irish Tech News Editor Simon Cocking and the wider Irish Tech News team over the past decade.

Ten years on, StartUp Ballymun continues to provide a meeting place for entrepreneurs, business owners, mentors and support organisations, reflecting the strength and resilience of enterprise activity in Ballymun and across North Dublin.

StartUp Ballymun takes place on Wednesday 10 June 2026 from 4pm to 8pm at Ballymun Civic Centre. Attendance is free and registration is available through Eventbrite.

Read about last year’s StartUp Ballymun event Innovation in Action

Billy Linehan

Billy Linehan writes about innovation, tech for good and entrepreneurship for Irish Tech News. He leads Celtar Advisers, working as a business mentor with SME directors and startup founders, and organises StartUp Ballymun, Dublin’s longest-running entrepreneurship series.

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