COMPANYHISTORIES

Ireland

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

18companies1783–1998founding years14still active4no longer operating
§ 01

Ireland companies over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedBank of Ireland
1783
1839
TechnologyGoodyear discovers how to vulcanize rubber.
1851
TechnologySinger's sewing machine mechanizes garment-making.
1856
TechnologyBessemer's process makes cheap steel possible.
1857
EconomyThe Panic of 1857 spreads through banks and railroads.
1859
TechnologyDrake's well at Titusville launches the oil industry.
FoundedHarland and Wolff Holdings plc
1861
1867
TechnologyNobel patents dynamite.
1869
EconomyThe transcontinental railroad links the American coasts.
EconomyThe Suez Canal opens, reshaping global shipping.
1873
EconomyLevi Strauss patents riveted denim work pants.
EconomyThe Panic of 1873 triggers a global depression.
1876
TechnologyAlexander Graham Bell patents the telephone.
1879
TechnologyEdison demonstrates a practical incandescent lamp.
1882
TechnologyEdison's Pearl Street Station opens the electric-utility era.
1886
EconomyCoca-Cola is first served in Atlanta.
TechnologyThe Hall-Heroult process makes aluminum cheap to produce.
FoundedFyffes Plc
1888
TechnologyKodak's roll-film camera brings photography to everyone.
1893
EconomyThe Panic of 1893 pulls down banks and overbuilt railroads.
FoundedIAWS Group plc
1897
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedIndependent News & Media PLC
1904
1908
TechnologyFord's Model T puts the automobile within reach of the middle class.
1913
TechnologyFord's moving assembly line transforms factory production.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1916
EconomyPiggly Wiggly opens the first self-service grocery store.
FoundedDEPFA BANK PLC
1922
FoundedJurys Doyle Hotel Group plc
1924
1925
EconomyThe Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting from Nashville.
FoundedCRH plc
1926
1927
TechnologyThe Jazz Singer ushers in the era of sound films.
TechnologyLindbergh flies the Atlantic solo, and aviation captures the public.
1928
TechnologyPenicillin is discovered, opening the age of antibiotics.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1931
EconomyThe Empire State Building rises in just over a year.
1933
EconomyThe first drive-in movie theater opens in New Jersey.
FoundedJefferson Smurfit Group plc
1934
FoundedAer Lingus Group plc
1936
1937
EconomyThe Golden Gate Bridge opens as the world's longest suspension span.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedDunnes Stores Ltd.
1944
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1946
TechnologyENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer, is unveiled.
FoundedWaterford Wedgwood plc
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1955
EconomyMcDonald's franchising begins, remaking fast food.
EconomyDisneyland opens and invents the modern theme park.
1956
TechnologyThe first transatlantic telephone cable opens.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
EconomyThe first Walmart opens, built on everyday low prices.
FoundedElan Corporation PLC
1969
TechnologyARPANET, the internet's precursor, goes live.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
FoundedKerry Group plc
1974
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
TechnologyThe first US in-vitro fertilization baby is born.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedRyanair Holdings plc
1985
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
TechnologyLinux and open source challenge proprietary software.
FoundedShannon Aerospace Ltd.
1992
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1994
TechnologyE-commerce begins to disrupt retail.
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
1999
TechnologyNapster ignites the digital disruption of recorded music.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
TechnologyGPS opens to civilian use, turning location into a utility.
2002
EconomyThe euro enters circulation across the eurozone.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
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 →
Defunct · 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
DEPFA BANK PLC (Depfa) is one of the world's leading public sector financing banks.
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
CRH plc has emerged as a leader in the fast-consolidating global building materials market.
Jefferson Smurfit Group plc →
Defunct · founded 1934 · Ireland
Jefferson Smurfit Group plc has expanded from its origins in the Irish packaging industry to become one of the world's…
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
Waterford Wedgwood plc is a holding company for two of the world's most highly respected names in tableware: Waterford…
Elan Corporation PLC →
Defunct · 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
That announcement provided Irish Permanent's Douglas with the opening to propose a new merger between his company and…
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