Ireland is a pretty fantastic place to do business - as proven once again by impressive, just released research.

Indeed, no fewer than NINE home-grown organisations are among Europe's most thriving, as listed by the Financial Times's annual Europe's Fastest Growing Companies compilation. And while you may not have heard of all nine, you'll certainly be familiar with a certain Maximum Media - home of the leading Her and HerFamily, as well as JOE and SportsJOE. Yes, Maximum is Ireland's second fast growing company, as well as being Europe's 250th, so suffice to say that in the aftermath we're all sorts of over the moon to have made it onto the influential list. Maximum Media founder, Niall McGarry, commented this morning: "I'm incredibly proud to see the business being recognised as one of the fastest growing across the European Union. "We've won countless awards and accolades over the years which I am very proud of, but this kind of objective recognition for success is as official as you can get. To be listed alongside the most remarkable, innovative businesses in Europe gives me the ultimate sense of achievement." The Mayo-native added: "I started this business at a time of huge economic uncertainty, and over the past seven years, it has consistently gone from strength to strength, and I am confident that our trajectory is only going to increase in the years to come. For both Maximum Media and JOE Media in the UK, I aim to see both businesses climbing the ranks on this list in the future." Mr McGarry concluded: "Our ambition is simply to become the largest and most influential media organisation in Ireland by 2022, and today I have never been more confident that this is achievable." Maximum Media has the largest social media following in Ireland: Her, HerFamily, JOE, and SportsJOE have 3m followers across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - and that figure is steadily growing. Most recently, the company unveiled Maximum Studios, its new purpose-built broadcast studios. So far in 2017 launched shows include weekly sports TV show SportsJOE Live; rugby podcast The Hard Yards; business podcast The Capital B, and GAA podcast The GAA Hour. The Financial Times list is already garnering significant attention Europe-wide this afternoon.