Business insurance · Ireland · Head-to-head
Arachas (TradeMaster) vs AXA Ireland
Two Ireland business insurance options, compared side by side for Ireland trades.
Which should you choose?
Arachas (TradeMaster) and AXA Ireland are both Tier A, which every business insurance entry without a reputation warning receives, so the tier does not separate them. Weigh the pros, cons, pricing and Ireland-specific notes below against your trade and region.
Arachas (TradeMaster)
Tier A · ListedIrish business insurance broker owned by The Ardonagh Group, arranging liability cover for trades by quote
Arachas is an Irish insurance broker owned by The Ardonagh Group since 2020; Ardonagh completed a $2.5 billion equity investment led by Stone Point Capital in June 2025. Arachas has kept buying Irish brokers, including MDRB in Waterford (2024), Insight Insurance Brokers in Cork (2025) and a Sligo broker (2026). As a broker it arranges cover with insurers rather than underwriting it itself.
Pros
- + Irish broker arranging cover for businesses
- + Part of The Ardonagh Group since 2020
- + Broker model: can arrange cover across insurers
Cons
- − No published premiums; cover is priced by quote
- − Policy limits and indemnities could not be confirmed from its site
- − Broker, not the insurer: claims are paid by the underwriter
Ireland note
Arachas is an Irish broker selling to Irish businesses. Its building-trade liability page could not be read during our check, so ask Arachas directly for the policy limits, the insurer behind the cover, and whether it indemnifies principals, local authorities or bodies your work requires.
AXA Ireland
Tier A · ListedIrish arm of the French AXA Group; tradesman cover is quoted by AXA Ireland
AXA Ireland is the Irish business of the French insurance group AXA. In 2023 AXA completed the €650m purchase of Laya Healthcare, and The Irish Times reported its revenue at €1.7bn in May 2026 after it began underwriting Laya policies. Its tradesman insurance page could not be read for this listing, so cover details and how to buy should be checked with AXA.
Pros
- + Part of the international AXA Group
- + Revenue of €1.7bn reported by The Irish Times in May 2026
- + AXA bought Irish health insurer Laya Healthcare in 2023
Cons
- − No published prices could be read; cover is quoted
- − Tradesman cover details could not be confirmed for this listing
- − Check whether the policy covers work outside Ireland before taking jobs abroad
Ireland note
AXA Ireland is an Irish insurer within the French AXA Group. Its tradesman page could not be read for this listing, so confirm public and employers' liability limits and exclusions on your quote.
More Ireland options
See all Ireland business insurance vendors and the rest of the Ireland directory.