Fumbally Exchange was established as a
not-for-profit design and innovation hub in April 2010 on Fumbally Lane in Dublin’s
Liberties and was formally launched by
Tánaiste and
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade,
Eamon Gilmore in June 2011 by which time there were over 40 start-up businesses operating from the space. The name was partly inspired by the Metropolitan Exchange in Brooklyn, New York, a collaborative workplace that
Time magazine listed as one of the "top ten places to watch in 2010". In a 2011 feature on the aftermath of the economic crash in Europe, the
Wall Street Journal highlighted the Fumbally Exchange's innovative response to the challenges facing the country in the wake of massive unemployment and the economic downturn. In 2012 a second office was opened in
Balbriggan, Co. Dublin by
Minister for Health,
James Reilly, where it was seen as a vital step in the economic regeneration of the town. In 2013, the head office relocated to the former Hely’s Printing Works building on
Dame Lane in Dublin’s city centre and opened a new location in
Waterford’s Viking Quarter supported by
Waterford City and County Council. In 2014, the Dame Lane office was formally launched by
President Michael D. Higgins who praised the community for using their “creative capital” to “make a response in difficult times”. By 2016, the Fumbally Exchange had a sister office, MEME Exchange, in
Ravenna, Italy. In 2018 there were more than 100 people working at the Dame Lane offices when the building was sold by its owner
Eir. The community relocated to its current location on Blackpitts in Dublin's
Liberties later that year. == Activities ==