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It’s not that long ago that vinyl records were seen as a dead format, kept on life support only by purists, DJs and collectors. However, in the last 10 years that has all changed, and Irish vinyl sales have rocketed from half a million in 2014 to around five million this year.

Hugh Scully – co-founder of Glasnevin-based record manufacturers Dublin Vinyl – has a theory as to why. “People want something tangible again,” he says. “A playlist isn't a collection – even a hard drive full of mp3s isn't really a collection. A vinyl collection is something really personal.”

(Image: Dublin Vinyl)

The ever-increasing demand has posed problems of its own – not least when it comes to manufacturing the records themselves. Just four pressing plants – in the Czech Republic, Netherlands, Germany and France – make around 60% of the entire world’s records.

What does that mean for labels, artists and fans? Delayed orders, uncertain release dates and a lot of frustration.

That’s where Hugh comes in. A former DJ, radio presenter and marketing expert, he heard that a factory in Toronto was manufacturing the first new record pressing machinery since the 1970s, so he hooked up with Donagh Molloy – a touring musician and booking agent - put together a business plan and started looking for investment.

The two men put their industry expertise and contacts to good use in setting up Ireland’s first and only pressing plant in Tolka Industrial Park.

Hugh explains, “We pressed our first record just before Christmas 2017, and then officially started working with clients in January 2018.

“It's been quite the journey, but there's been a huge amount of support from the Irish music industry and internationally as well.”

The entrepreneur adds that although much of their work is for Irish labels and artists, the majority of their business is international. “We're working with everything from the major record labels through to lots of the indies and directly with artists as well, and exporting all over the world,” he says. “We've got products going out to Japan and New Zealand, Australia, North America, all over Europe and the UK.”

As well as new releases, Dublin Vinyl have worked on reissues for some of the major record companies, and Hugh says the greatest thrill for him has been seeing some of his own favourite albums come off the presses – acts like Bob Marley, Tom Petty, Amy Winehouse and DJ Shadow.

Hugh and Donagh have been quick to diversify too. At the start of this year they launched Loves Vinyl , a subscription service that sends three records to your door every month – a classic, a specially selected compilation of tracks by Irish artists, and an exclusive test pressing that comes straight from the plant.

“It’s been going great,” says Hugh. “We're heading towards a thousand subscribers and we're going to start pushing it in the UK and North America.”

The latest initiative is called The Record Hub – an online shop that Hugh likes to call “everybody's local record store”.

He adds, “We want it to be a two-way conversation – if there's stuff we don't have in stock, get in touch and we'll get it in. It's building up a sense of community as well.”

Next year, the plan is to bring The Record Hub around the country with a series of pop-up shops – emphasising the local aspect of this international business – and Hugh also intends to start offering tours of the plant and putting on intimate gigs for Irish artists. Dundalk singer-songwriter David Keenan is one act that has already performed there for his fans.

Vinyl’s resurgence has been Lazarus-esque, but having pumped over a million euro in the business – a mixture of private investment and initiatives like Enterprise Ireland’s High Potential Start-Up fund – what makes Hugh so confident that it has been money well spent?

“It's going to continue growing,” he insists. “It may start to slow and plateau a little bit in another five or 10 years, but there was a very good quote from Jack White who's a great ambassador for all things vinyl.

“He said that it's streaming in the car and the kitchen, and vinyl in the living room. The demand is there.”