Irish Rural Link

What Irish Rural Link does

Irish Rural Link (IRL) is a non-profit national network established in 1991 and headquartered in Moate, County Westmeath, Ireland. It directly represents over 600 rural community groups with a combined membership of 25,000 individuals, operating as the principal advocacy voice for sustainable rural development at local, national, and EU levels. IRL's mission centres on influencing development policy in favour of marginalised rural communities and supporting community-led implementation of strategic programmes addressing rural poverty, exclusion, isolation, and demographic decline.

IRL's operational model combines policy advocacy, project coordination, and direct service delivery across roughly two dozen national and European initiatives. Revenue is sourced from membership subscriptions (community groups and individuals), government contracts (notably the AgriKids Farm Safety Ambassador School Programme funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine), and multi-year EU grants delivered through PEACEPLUS, Erasmus+, and other European programmes — including the €3.97m RiSE and €2.75m Maximising Community Space PEACEPLUS projects. The organisation coordinates ecosystem-level infrastructure such as the National Meals on Wheels Network (260+ providers, 2.7 million meals annually, 120,000 service users) and the CAP Network Ireland.

IRL's portfolio spans digital inclusion (DELSA, MICRO, MICRO2, SUSTAIN IT, DEW), rural enterprise (DEAL, NICHE, Rubizmo), social inclusion (Beyond NEET, Fast Food U Grow, PEACE for Education), environmental projects (Breeding Waders EIP, FarmPEAT, Community Wetlands Forum, WaterLANDS, Connecting Communities with Peatlands), and farm safety (Farmers4Safety, AgriKids — acquired January 2026 from founder Alma Jordan). Distribution is via direct membership services, project-based delivery, and network partnerships (Rural Action, NIRWN, CAP Network Ireland, Social Enterprise NI, Community Finance Ireland, and others). Leadership transitioned in April 2026 with Briain Smyth appointed CEO following former CEO Séamus Boland's elevation to European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) President for 2025-2028.

Name

Irish Rural Link

Legal name

Irish Rural Link

Website

https://irishrurallink.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Irish Rural Link is a non-profit national network, founded in 1991, that represents over 600 rural community groups and 25,000 members across Ireland, advocating for sustainable rural development and delivering EU-funded projects, government programmes, and services such as Meals on Wheels and farm safety education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Development Advocacy Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development (BPAGABAL)

Keywords

• Rural development advocacy
• Community network membership
• EU project management
• Rural policy representation
• Community development support

Headquarters

HQ city

Moate

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Irish Rural Link generates revenue through membership fees from community groups and individuals who join the network to access advocacy services, resources, and collaborative opportunities.
2. EU Project Funding: IRL receives funding through various EU programmes including PEACEPLUS (€1.14bn programme), Erasmus+ projects, and other European initiatives. The organization partners with other entities to deliver cross-border and community development projects.
3. Government Contracts: IRL administers government-funded programmes such as the AgriKids Farm Safety Ambassador School Programme, funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Irish Rural Link is a non-profit national federation representing over 600 rural community groups across Ireland, advocating for sustainable rural development and operating as the host of Ireland's National Rural Network and CAP Network. The organization delivers and partners on multiple EU-funded projects spanning agricultural safety education, biodiversity, social inclusion, rural finance, and community development. It generates revenue through community group membership subscriptions and project-based grant funding.

Product overview

Irish Rural Link is a non-profit national network of rural community groups established in 1991, representing over 600 community groups with 25,000 combined members. The organization does not offer commercial products but rather operates as an advocacy and coordination body managing a portfolio of national and European projects. Key initiatives include: the acquired AgriKids farm safety education platform for primary schools; the National Meals on Wheels Network supporting over 260 provider organisations; multiple environmental projects (Breeding Waders EIP, FarmPEAT, Connecting Communities with Peatlands, Community Wetlands Forum, WaterLANDS); rural development initiatives (RiSE, Maximising Community Space, National Rural Network); digital inclusion projects (DELSA, MICRO, MICRO2, SUSTAIN IT, DEW); and European peacebuilding programmes (PEACE for Education, Beyond NEET). The organization also advocates for Local Public Banking policy. These initiatives are funded through EU programmes, government departments, and the PEACEPLUS programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Irish Rural Link Community Group Membership Annual subscription membership for rural community groups across Ireland, providing policy advocacy representation, training, capacity-building support, and access to EU funding opportunities. Represents 600+ community groups at national and EU level.
• AgriKids Farm safety education program and brand for primary school children and farming communities, focused on child safety on farms. Acquired by Irish Rural Link in January 2026.
• National Rural Network (NRN)

Quantifiable outcome

• 600+ community groups represented at local, national and EU level
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026SEUPB manages the PEACEPLUS programme (€1.14bn) which IRL participates in through multiple projects including the €2.75m Maximising Community Space Project and the €3,971,440 RiSE Project.
• Rural ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026Rural Action leads the Maximising Community Space project and the RiSE Project as lead partner, with IRL as a key partner in both initiatives supporting cross-border and cross-community rural development.
• Northern Ireland Rural Women's Network (NIRWN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026NIRWN is a partner in the Maximising Community Space PEACEPLUS project, bringing cross-community perspectives to rural development initiatives.
• Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 January 2026DAFM funds the AgriKids Farm Safety Ambassador School Programme which IRL administers. IRL also acquired AgriKids platform in January 2026 to expand farm safety education.
• Scotland Social Enterprise AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2025Partner in the RiSE (Rural Innovation & Social Enterprise) project focusing on social enterprise development in rural areas.
• Social Enterprise NI (SENI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2025Partner in the RiSE project supporting social enterprise development in Northern Ireland and border counties.
• Community Finance IrelandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2025Associate partner in the RiSE project providing financial expertise for social enterprise development.
• Uniao das Mutualidades Portuguesas (UMP)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 August 2025Portuguese partner in the Fast Food U Grow Erasmus+ project and the Beyond NEET project, collaborating on cross-border educational initiatives.
• Galway City Community Training CentreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 August 2025Partner in the Fast Food U Grow project, contributing to healthy food and sustainable consumption education.
• DELSA Consortium (Erasmus+)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 December 20188 partners from 6 European countries (Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain) working on Digital Empowerment for Low Skilled Adults project.
• SUSTAIN IT Consortium (Erasmus+)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 20188 partners from 6 European countries (Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Spain) developing sustainable tourism training programmes.
• CAP Network IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRL partners with ERINN Innovation and Munster Technological University (MTU) to deliver Ireland's CAP Network, championing sustainable agriculture and rural development under the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027.
• National Meals on Wheels NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished under IRL's umbrella in 2015, the network coordinates 260+ Meals on Wheels providers delivering 2.7 million meals annually to 120,000 service users.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Wheel: Ireland's national representative body for community and voluntary organizations, charities, and social enterprises. Directly comparable as a national membership network providing advocacy, training, and resources to community groups across Ireland, with overlapping membership audiences.
• Rural Community Network (NI): Northern Ireland-based rural community development network advocating for rural communities across the border counties. Directly comparable as a cross-border rural advocacy peer operating in similar PEACEPLUS-funded terrain as Irish Rural Link.
• Northern Ireland Rural Women's Network (NIRWN): A cross-border rural women's network partnering with IRL on the Maximising Community Space PEACEPLUS project. Comparable as a rural advocacy organization operating in the same cross-border space with similar funding and membership structures.

Peers

• Pobal:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/irishrurallink
• Facebookfacebook.com/irishrural.link

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Irish Rural Link