Kilkenny hurling star Walter Walsh talks to us building a community-first social network and why Ireland’s start-up scene is similar to the GAA.
For those well-immersed in the world of Irish sport, Walter Walsh may be a familiar face.
Walsh is a former Kilkenny senior hurling star whose sporting career saw no shortage of accolades, including three All Ireland Championship victories, a man of the match award on his senior debut and an All-Star award.
Off the pitch, the sportsman has worked as both a dairy farmer and a secondary school teacher. But recently, Walsh decided to step away from teaching to turn his focus to developing our Start-up of the Week – SocialTies.
SocialTies is a “community-first” social network that aims to support grassroot organisations and communities with the digital tools needed to maximise engagement and generate new hyperlocal revenue streams.
“It’s one simple app, branded to your organisation, where you can do everything: post updates, sell tickets, share fixtures, run training sessions and actually connect with your members properly,” Walsh explains to SiliconRepublic.com.
How it started
With a lifetime of involvement in GAA, from local clubs all the way to county level, Walsh says he has witnessed first-hand the “communication mess” that communities can experience just to keep things running.
Through a mutual friend, he was introduced to SocialTies co-founder Brendan Kavanagh and in Walsh’s words, the two hit the ground running.
“He’s got loads of experience building companies, but more importantly, he really understood the problem and why it mattered,” he says. “We didn’t need to convince each other, we were both on the same page from day one.”
Walsh says the company is targeting an area that he believes is overlooked by tech – local life.
“There are thousands of clubs, schools, county boards, and grassroots organisations across Ireland (and beyond) trying to run things using outdated websites, WhatsApp groups and social posts, none of which were ever designed for them,” he states.
“At the same time, businesses, especially local ones, are spending money on ads that rarely land. We saw an opportunity to connect those two sides in a way that brings value back to the community.
According to Walsh, SocialTies is free to use and every ad on the platform gives 50pc of the revenue straight back to the community through a community shared advertising model.
“So instead of local businesses’ marketing budget going to Silicon Valley, it helps fund the pitch, the school trip, or the next community project,” he explains. “That’s the difference, it works for the people on the ground.
“Rather than paying for tools and relying on fundraising, they get a platform that actually helps them both operate, and earn, at the same time.”
How it’s going
In terms of progress so far, Walsh says the team is off to a great start.
The start-up chose Kilkenny’s GAA scene for its initial roll-out. “That’s our proof of concept, showing what’s possible when you build the right digital infrastructure around a real community.”
According to Walsh, this initial community – Kilkenny Cats Social – has already passed 5,000 active users.
“The engagement has been brilliant, and it’s sparked conversations with other counties and organisations who want in,” he says. “From here, the plan is to grow county by county, organisation by organisation, working closely with each one to tailor the platform to their needs.”
At the moment, Walsh says SocialTies is currently preparing to scale, with plans to hire for roles in product, partnerships and content over the coming months to support the next wave of launches. “The key thing is to grow in a way that keeps us close to the ground – we’re building tech, but it has to feel local and rooted in every place we serve,” he adds.
Giving it everything
Building a digital resource for local communities has its fair share of challenges according to Walsh. One such hurdle is timing.
“We’re building around busy, volunteer-led organisations that are already stretched,” he explains. “You can’t just drop in tech and expect it to take off, you need to work closely with people, listen, and make sure it genuinely fits into their lives. That’s why we’ve taken our time with Kilkenny – it’s not just about launch, it’s about long-term value.”
When asked about his experience of the Irish start-up scene, Walsh talks of being most impressed by the sense of shared ambition within the community.
“There’s a strong network in Ireland, people want to build things that matter, and they’re not afraid to help each other out along the way,” he says.
“In a way, it reminds me of the GAA, there’s competition, of course, but also pride in backing something local and giving it everything. I do think there’s still a tendency to chase the biggest, flashiest ideas, but there’s real power in solving everyday problems close to home.”
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