Since its inception in Dunmanway, West Cork in 1973, FDC Group has been expanding exponentially across the country.

Celebrating 50 years in business in 2023, the Co-Operative Group serves as a trusted advisor for local communities across Ireland. Its core services are Accounting, Taxation, Financial Planning and Advisory services which it provides to a client base of SMEs, Farmers, Family Businesses and Self-employed Professionals.

Over the last fifteen years, FDC Group has steadily progressed with its ambition of establishing a 32-county presence in the country and opened its first Western office in 2018 in Athenry, Co. Galway.

Since then, FDC has expanded in the West into Claremorris, Co. Mayo and Kiltormer, Co. Galway.

Karina has been with FDC Group since 2001 and is a Regional Manager in FDC Group. She is both an Accountant and a Chartered Tax Advisor and leads a team of over 25 colleagues in the area.

Regarding client outreach Karina mentions, “the opportunities in the West are huge for FDC Group. We continue to do what we do well and, in doing this, it is all about understanding the client. One of the things we take seriously is getting to know our clients and understand their business through client meetings or visits. By doing this, we can act in a more beneficial way as a client advisory team.” 

Patrick is a key employee of the Claremorris office whose career path has certainly been “different”. He grew up in the south of England and had short career as a dentist after graduating from dental school in 2017. Regarding his drastic career change, “I’d always had an interest in business and finance, but it was until meeting a financial advisor myself I discovered what would become my new career. I moved from England to Sligo in 2023 and took a 6-month career break. I used this time to sit the QFA exams and applied for the role at FDC. I was accepted as a trainee financial advisor and completed the training programme in January this year.” 

Patrick recognised FDC’s expansion to the West, commenting, “I’ve worked in three offices across Mayo and Galway. FDC is not as widely known here as the company’s base is further South, but clients and owners of acquired practices appreciate the integration and the cooperative values.” 

John is an Agricultural Consultant in the Western Region who has extensive experience of the DAFM schemes such as BISS, TAMS, ACRES, and Beef and Sheep Welfare schemes. He was involved in the operation of the Wild Atlantic Nature EIP and planned the designation of the Clew Bay Island Biosphere zone. Additionally, John Lee worked closely with NPWS and designed projects for the control of invasive species such as Rhododendron at local community level.

John organises discussion groups and a Young Farmers Group with regular meetings to inform clients about new and present scheme requirements and opportunities / incentives in the sector.

“My client geographic hinterland is quite extensive and include a broad range of enterprises and variant scales of production. Many of my clients are family run farms and require discussions on possible expansion, scheme work and future profitability. Many of the clients also require accountancy work and tax advice – for this I can rely to my colleagues as required. Clients with complex situations in of need professional assistance above the standard come to me and fellow FDC colleagues as their preferred problem solver. I have found that existing clients are loyal to FDC and are now open to availing of our agricultural services confident in continued professionalism.”