COMPANY·HISTORIES

Ireland

Companies based in Ireland, and the events that shaped them.

18companies1783–1998founding years16still active2no longer operating
§ 01

Ireland companies over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironment
FoundedBank of Ireland
1783
FoundedHarland and Wolff Holdings plc
1861
FoundedFyffes Plc
1888
FoundedIAWS Group plc
1897
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedIndependent News & Media PLC
1904
1908
TechnologyThe Ford Model T brings the automobile to the middle class.
1913
EconomyThe Federal Reserve is created.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedDEPFA BANK PLC
1922
FoundedJurys Doyle Hotel Group plc
1924
FoundedCRH plc
1926
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression begins.
1933
EconomyNew Deal reforms reshape banking and industry.
FoundedJefferson Smurfit Group plc
1934
FoundedAer Lingus Group plc
1936
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedDunnes Stores Ltd.
1944
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long postwar expansion begins.
FoundedWaterford Wedgwood plc
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented at Bell Labs.
1956
EconomyThe Interstate Highway program remakes commerce.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedElan Corporation PLC
1969
1970
EnvironmentThe EPA is founded; environmental regulation expands.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; Nasdaq opens.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
FoundedKerry Group plc
1974
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins with the Altair.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedRyanair Holdings plc
1985
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall 22% in a single day.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedShannon Aerospace Ltd.
1992
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedGlanbia plc
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedIrish Life & Permanent Plc
1998
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2001
EconomyThe September 11 attacks; a recession follows.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 begin to take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Bank of Ireland →
Active · founded 1783 · Ireland
The Bank of Ireland is the oldest bank in Ireland.
Harland and Wolff Holdings plc →
Active · founded 1861 · Ireland
Best known as the company that built the Titanic, Harland and Wolff Holdings plc has for more than 150 years built some…
Fyffes Plc →
Active · founded 1888 · Ireland
Fyffes Plc is one of the world's largest importers and distributors of fruits, ranking number five worldwide and number…
IAWS Group plc →
Active · founded 1897 · Ireland
From its late 19th-century origins in Ireland's cooperative movement, IAWS Group plc has grown into a leading food…
Independent News & Media PLC →
Active · founded 1904 · Ireland
Independent News & Media PLC is one of the leading newspaper groups in the English-speaking world.
DEPFA BANK PLC →
Active · founded 1922 · Ireland
Total Assets: $218.36 billion (2003) Stock Exchanges: Pink Sheets Frankfurt Ticker Symbols: DPFHF; DEPF NAIC: 522110…
Jurys Doyle Hotel Group plc →
Active · founded 1924 · Ireland
Jurys Doyle Hotel Group plc is Ireland's leading hotel group with a fast-growing international component as well.
CRH plc →
Active · founded 1926 · Ireland
1930s:Tom and Donald Roach found a cement production business, one of only two licensed cement producers in Ireland.
Jefferson Smurfit Group plc →
Defunct · founded 1934 · Ireland
Ticker Symbols: SMFT; JS (New York) NAIC: 322121 Paper (Except Newsprint) Mills; 322130 Paperboard Mills; 322210…
Aer Lingus Group plc →
Active · founded 1936 · Ireland
A relatively late starter among European flag carriers, Aer Lingus Group plc has grown quickly in its first few decades…
Dunnes Stores Ltd. →
Active · founded 1944 · Ireland
Family-owned Dunnes Stores Ltd.
Waterford Wedgwood plc →
Defunct · founded 1947 · Ireland
1760s:Wedgwood creates a uniquely cream-colored earthenware, which becomes known as 'Queen's Ware.' 1769: A factory is…
Elan Corporation PLC →
Active · founded 1969 · Ireland
Founded in a Dublin, Ireland garden shed, Elan Corporation PLC has grown into Ireland's leading pharmaceutical company…
Kerry Group plc →
Active · founded 1974 · Ireland
Kerry Group plc is fast becoming one of the world's leading food ingredients suppliers.
Ryanair Holdings plc →
Active · founded 1985 · Ireland
Ryanair Holdings plc, Europe's largest budget airline, has gone a long way toward making air travel a commodity in the…
Shannon Aerospace Ltd. →
Active · founded 1992 · Ireland
Shannon Aerospace Ltd.
Glanbia plc →
Active · founded 1997 · Ireland
Glanbia plc is Ireland's top dairy foods producer and one of Europe's major dairy food groups, with a significant…
Irish Life & Permanent Plc →
Active · founded 1998 · Ireland
Total Assets: $36.1 billion (2002) Stock Exchanges: Irish Ticker Symbol: IPM NAIC: 522110 Commercial Banking; 522298…
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