Top Irish Brands You Should Know About

Ireland is home to some of the most famous brands in the world, and while you’ll certainly recognise most, if not all of them, you might not have realised the Irish connection of a couple.

Guinness

Definitely Irish, you’ll travel far and wide before you come across someone who’s never heard of Guinness. Brewed in Dublin since 1759, this iconic brand of dry stout is owned by Diageo, is an international alcohol beverage company. While you’re in Dublin, you can take a tour of the Guinness Storehouse, or just pop into The Temple Bar Pub because we know a thing or two about Guinness too, and Oysters.

Ryanair

Ryanair, one of the most successful and low-cost European airlines, flies to over 240 airports in over 40 countries with around 3,000 daily flights and boasts one of the youngest fleets in major European airlines. It’s also the parent company to Buzz, Lauda, and Malta Airlines.

Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland founded in 1936. It’s a subsidiary of the International Airlines Group. The airline operates flights to over 90 destinations across Europe, North America, and Africa, pursuing its mission to become the leading value carrier operating across the North Atlantic. Aer Lingus is also the official airline and sponsor of the Irish Rugby Team.

Kerry Group

You may not be familiar with the name, but we’d be surprised if you haven’t eaten lots of foods produced by Kerry. Headquartered in County Kerry, Ireland, this huge global company operates in over 30 countries. Kerry group doesn’t just provide for the food industry, but for us ordinary mortals too. Some of the brands are really well known, including Sharwoods, Cheesestrings, Mattessons, Richmond, and Walls.

Jameson

Jameson Irish Whiskey is known all around the world. It’s owned by Irish distillers Pernod Ricard and founded by John Jameson. The brand has been in production since 1780 and is the best-selling Irish whiskey globally. It’s the alcohol base of many a cocktail including the classic Whiskey Sour, and even if whiskey isn’t your favourite tipple most of us enjoy the odd Irish Coffee.

Primark

Yep, this famous chain of home and fashion shops is Irish too, having started way back in 1969 as a single shop in Dublin called Penneys. It didn’t become Primark until 1973 when they opened the first store in Derby, and that was only because they didn’t have the right to use the name Penneys in England. The chain is still branded as Penneys at many of its Irish locations.

Baileys Irish Cream

This list of famous Irish brands seems to be a bit alcohol-heavy, but what can you expect from a pub? We’re bound to be just a little bit biased.
Baileys Irish Cream, a delicious mix of cocoa, cream, and Irish whiskey is made, of course, by Diageo in Dublin, the current trademark owners. Since its first introduction in 1974, exotic variants have joined the range including Pumpkin Spice, Orange Truffle, and Salted Caramel.

There are many other Irish brands, of course, and these aren’t listed in any particular order of fame. Except maybe Guinness, because surely everyone knows about it and where it comes from.