Ireland: Google Ireland Ltd.

Overview

Google Ireland Limited is Google’s main Irish operating company and the central EMEA commercial entity for many Google services. It is registered in Ireland under company number 368047 and has its registered office at Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, D04 E5W5. The company was incorporated on 28 February 2003 and is registered as a private company limited by shares.

Google Ireland Limited is the principal Google entity through which much of the group’s EMEA advertising and platform activity is booked. It is also a key contracting and service-provider entity for users and business customers in the European Economic Area and Switzerland. It should be treated as Google’s main Irish operating and revenue-booking entity, distinct from separate Irish entities such as Google Commerce Limited, Google Cloud EMEA Limited, Google Payment Ireland Limited, Google Voice Limited and Google Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company.

Ownership and group status

Google Ireland Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Google Europe, Middle East and Africa Unlimited Company, incorporated in Ireland. Its ultimate parent company is Alphabet Inc., incorporated in Delaware, United States. The company is included in Alphabet Inc.’s consolidated financial statements.

Leadership

The directors who served during the 2024 financial year and up to the date of the FY2024 annual report were Elizabeth Cunningham, David Sneddon, Vanessa Hartley, Colin Goulding and Amanda Storey. The company secretary is Matsack Trust Limited.

Business model and services

Google Ireland Limited generates revenue mainly by delivering relevant, cost-effective online advertising on Google properties and Google Network Members’ properties. Google properties revenue consists primarily of advertising revenue generated on Google Search, Google-owned and operated properties including YouTube, and other Google properties. Google Network Members’ properties revenue consists primarily of advertising revenue generated on Google Network Members’ properties.

The company also records other revenues from apps, in-app purchases and digital content in the Google Play store; service and reseller revenue; and other miscellaneous products and services. Google Ireland Limited is responsible for providing most of Google’s consumer services to users in the European Economic Area and Switzerland and is the provider of services designated as very large online platforms or very large online search engines under the EU Digital Services Act.

Google Ireland Limited also incurs contract research-and-development expenditure on services provided by related parties. In 2024, the company incurred €304.4m in contract R&D expenditure, compared with €231.1m in 2023 and €222.7m in 2022.

The company also states in its FY2024 directors’ report that it has two data centres in Dublin.

Relationship with other Irish Google entities

Google Ireland Limited should not be used as a catch-all for all Irish Google activity. Several Google functions are separated into other Irish companies. Google Commerce Limited records Google Play Store and related digital-content and device-commerce activity. Google Cloud EMEA Limited is the EMEA cloud-contracting entity. Google Payment Ireland Limited handles regulated payment and e-money services. Google Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company and other unlimited companies function as holding or group-structure entities rather than ordinary operating companies.

Latest financial snapshot

FY2024