Public Relations Institute of Ireland
Written by Meagan Stroud
Photographed by Bethany Foltz

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    To start off the “Advertising and Public Relations Day,” the group met with Gerry Davis at Buswells Hotel on May 11 to hear about public relations in Ireland. Davis is the chief executive of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland, or PRII.
    PRII was founded in 1953 by a group of nine public relations consultants. Since then, it has grown to consist of approximately 750 practitioners, out of the 13,000 to 15,000 practitioners in the country. This is a relatively high percentage, compared to similar organizations in the United Kingdom. Less than half of the practitioners in the country work for a consultancy, with an average workforce of 12 people. This is a great change from earlier years in the field, in which the industry was very small and dominated by former journalists.
    As public relations is a growing field in Ireland, education is a main focal point for PRII. The Institute offers a two-year degree program in public relations, in addition to a four-week certificate program in social media for public relations professionals. There are two undergraduate programs in public relations in Ireland, in addition to two masters-level programs.
    “It’s a buoyant industry,” said Davis.
    In addition to educating the people, PRII also helps them get jobs after they are trained. Available positions are posted on the website, most of which require some sort of social media experience in recent years.
    In addition to connecting people with jobs, the PRII has a second division, the Public Relations Consultancy Association, or PRCA, which connects clients with various agencies. The PRCA consists of 33 consultancies, most of which are in Dublin.
    In fact, every firm of notable size in Ireland is in Dublin due to the centralization of businesses and the convenient infrastructure to the surrounding areas.
    “Public relations is very much an east coast-centered industry in Ireland,” said Davis.
    Like any field, public relations is not without its problems. One of the main difficulties practitioners face in Ireland is the poor reputation it has received due to the influence of politicians and the large number of untrained people who refer to themselves as professionals.
    “It’s a universal, historical and international problem,” Davis said.
    In addition, the recent developments in social media have caused another issue for public relations. Virtually anyone can play the role of communicator now, which decreases the impact of public relations professionals.
    “There’s a lot of people trying to ‘eat our lunch,’” said Davis.
    No matter where a business is located, communicating with publics is an essential industry. Although separated by an entire ocean, it is remarkable how many similarities there are in public relations in the United States and Ireland.