Moore Ireland acquires DHKN in further consolidation 

Further acquisitions in the pipeline for Cork firm

Stephen Crowley (DHKN) pictured with Moore Ireland Managing Partner Ned Murphy and Mark Gibbs (DHKN).

Cork-headquartered accountancy firm Moore Ireland has merged with Galway-based DHKN is a further accountancy consolidation move.

The new entity, under Moore Ireland, will create one of the largest accounting firms in Ireland focused on the mid-market economy with a combined team of over 240 people.

It is the first major strategic investment by Moore Ireland, led by Managing Partner Ned Murphy, following its merger with Moore Kingston Smith in 2023. The company is understood to be working on further acquisitions with a heavy pipeline of options.

The deal has been supported by Waterland Private Equity, who will provide further funding to the firms to expand their capabilities in the Irish market.

DHKN is the largest professional services firm in the west of Ireland with expertise in audit, accountancy, corporate finance, tax consultancy and compliance, outsourced services and company secretarial. It was founded in 2003 in Galway, and now has a total of 80 staff.

Moore Ireland has 14 partners and 160 staff with offices in Dublin and Cork and has grown steadily in the Irish marketplace since its foundation in 1970. 

As part of the deal, Moore Ireland will add five partners from DHKN with Stephen Crowley and Mark Gibbs taking senior leadership roles and three newly appointed partners from DHKN taking up partner positions in Moore Ireland; Brian Fallon, Robert Lohan and Maurice O’Shea. 

The new partners bring expertise across a diverse range of business areas and sectors and reflect the ambition in the merged firm’s growth trajectory and market ambition. Proinsias Kitt, a founding partner of DHKN, will continue as a consultant to Moore Ireland, and bring his extensive experience to support the growth and success of the newly merged entity.

"This is another transformational step for our business,” Ned Murphy said. “Our partnership with DHKN positions Moore to offer a compelling value proposition in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast and of course, supported by Moore Kingston Smith in London. Our links across these jurisdictions, with teams qualified to advise in Ireland, Northern Ireland the UK, and mainland Europe, will provide our clients with a truly integrated service offering," he said.

"We believe that the mid-market business sector in Ireland will be the key driving force of the broader Irish economy in the coming years," Murphy added.