Brian McCarthy to receive Order of Inisfallen award

Brian McCarthy, founder of Fexco, on a visit to Skellig Michael, the sixth century monastic site, 12km off the coast of the Iveragh Peninsula.
Pictures: Valerie O’Sullivan

The founder of financial services giant Fexco, Brian McCarthy, is to be the recipient of the prestigious Order of Inisfallen award for 2024.

The business giant founded the dynamic financial services firm in 1981 and he has been instrumental in the incredible development and growth of the company on a worldwide basis.

Brian worked with Allied Irish Bank from 1963 to 1981 before circumstances – in the form of a bank strike – saw him identify a real opening in foreign exchange. The rest is business history.

He was honoured in October 2002 when receiving the Ernst & Young International Entrepreneur of the Year Award and he also received the Sean Lemass Award for Excellence in Marketing in 1987 and the RDS Gold Medal for Enterprise in 2021.

Brian McCarthy speaking at the launch of ‘The book of the Skelligs’ at the Skellig Visitor Experience Centre on Valentia Island

He was also the recipient of the inaugural Cantillon Entrepreneur Award and, in 2016, the Dublin born and Cork reared Brian became the first non Kerryman to receive the Kerry Person of the Year Award from the Kerry Association in Dublin.

Acknowledged worldwide as one of Ireland’s most prominent, dynamic and successful business leaders, Brian McCarthy has demonstrated significant professional and entrepreneurial abilities, instilled confidence within Ireland’s business community through their achievements and played a pivotal role in fostering job growth and economic progress in the country.

Brian McCarthy with his son Denis and Minister Paschal Donohoe

Fexco has always been driven by fresh thinking. From its original business in foreign exchange, it has evolved into a world leader in payments and FX technology and business services. Focused on strategic innovation, Fexco has built deep relationships with partners, growing with them, creating entire industries and expanding to employ more than 2,800 people and providing solutions in more than 50 markets.

Fexco employs people across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America, Latin America and Australasia but Brian McCarthy and his family have always remained loyal and true to Killorglin and to Kerry and their commitment to the county, through so many projects and sponsorships, is legendary.

The Cairde Chill Áirne Order of Inisfallen awards scheme is a joint initiative between Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce and Kerry County Council.

It recognises

outstanding contributions by people to the economic development of the town and its tourism industry. Those selected for the honour are invested as Members of the Order of Inisfallen.

The 2024 Order of Inisfallen award will be presented by Mayor of Killarney, Cllr Maura Healy-Rae, at Muckross House, Killarney at 4.00pm on Thursday, November 28th.

ORDER OF INISFALLEN

The Cairde Chill Áirne Order of Inisfallen awards scheme was established in 2005 to recognise and honour outstanding contributions by people to the economic development of Killarney, Kerry and its tourism industry.

Previous recipients include King Charles of England, Oscar nominated actor Michael Fassbender, former Taoiseach Enda Kenny, industrialist Isolde Liebherr, international entertainer Daniel O’Donnell, tour operators Brian Stack, Linda Roberts and Brian McColgan, travel writer Susan Poole, former government ministers John O’Donoghue and Jimmy Deenihan, tourism official Margaret Cahill, former RTÉ presenters Michael Ryan and Mary Kennedy and successful Kerry business personalities Margaret O’Donoghue, Donal Ring and Micheál O’Donoghue.

Inisfallen Island is one of Killarney’s best-known and most historic heritage sites. It began as a place of healing and became a major centre of learning where the Annals of Inisfallen, the oldest contemporary source of the history of Munster, were scripted.

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