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There's a strong possibility that you won't have to travel too far outside your front door to spot a Ford vehicle of some description. The American brand is one of the most popular marques in Ireland, and 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the old Ford manufacturing plant in Cork. This was the first Ford plant anywhere outside of North America, and by 1929 it was actually the largest tractor factory in the world, having produced the last Model T ever to be made along the way.
So why did Henry Ford choose Ireland as a base for his company's European venture? Henry's father William hailed from Ballinascarty in West Cork, but emigrated to the US during the Famine. This almost certainly influenced his decision, and Henry hoped that the new plant on the Marina "would start Ireland along the road to industry".
After many years of production during which vehicles ranging from the aforementioned Model T all the way to Sierra rolled off the line, the factory was unfortunately shut in 1984.
Ireland's love affair with the Blue Oval never faded however. New car sales figures find the Fiesta and Focus well within the top ten, and any classic car or tractor show you care to visit will be packed full of Fords from Anglia to Zephyr.
Ford Ireland has recognised this, and as part of the centenary celebrations an extensive marketing campaign has been launched. This will consist of video and radio ads (featuring Irish-American actor Aidan Quinn), displays and other activities throughout the year, with one of the main events being a gala dinner in Cork City Hall on April 21st.
Ford Ireland's chairman and managing director Ciarán McMahon remarked: "Ford has a unique heritage in Ireland, not only through the company's close family links with Cork but also through the Cork Ford factory and of course many decades of much-loved Ford cars and vans on Irish roads. And we are still to the forefront in the automotive sector in Ireland with the widest network of dealers, providing employment, directly and indirectly, to some 1,000 people across the country."