    paddy power is an irish bookmaker. offline it conducts business through a chain of licensed betting shops in ireland and the united kingdom, and by operating ireland's largest telephone betting service. online it offers sports betting, online poker, online bingo, online casino games, and spread betting. the company is listed on the irish and uk stock exchanges. == history == thumbnail|right|paddy power shop in moore street, dublin paddy power was founded in 1988 by the merger of the 40 shops of three irish bookmakers: stewart kenny, david power, and john corcoran. stewart kenny had sold kenny o'reilly bookmakers to coral in 1986 and then opened 10 shops of his own by 1988; he was the ceo of paddy power till 2002. john corcoran's shops had traded as patrick corcoran. david power was a son of richard power and one of several inheritors trading under the richard power name. the power name was considered the strongest brand among the merged shops, while the "paddy" name and green colouring emphasised the chain's irishness at a time when the fragmented irish industry was facing competition from british betting chains entering the market in response to changes in the irish tax code. david power's son, whose name happens to be paddy power (b. 1974/5), is a marketing spokesman for the company.{{cite news|url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/ireland/business/money/article476998.ece|title=fame & fortune: paddy power|last=monaghan|first=gabrielle|date=12 december 2010|work=the sunday times|accessdate
1988_establishments_in_Ireland Bookmakers Companies_based_in_Dublin_(city) Companies_established_in_1988 Gambling_companies_of_Ireland Gambling_companies_of_the_Channel_Islands Gambling_websites Poker_companies