Cadbury Ireland
Cadbury Ireland is Mondelēz International’s Irish confectionery manufacturing and trading operation, with production sites in Dublin and County Kerry.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Cadbury Ireland is the Irish confectionery operation trading under the Cadbury name and legally operating as Mondelez Ireland Production Limited. It is based in Coolock, Dublin, and forms part of the wider Cadbury business owned by Mondelēz International. The Irish operation manufactures and distributes chocolate and other confectionery products for the domestic market and exports products internationally. Cadbury’s Irish presence developed from the company’s nineteenth-century British origins. John Cadbury established the original Cadbury business in Birmingham in 1824. The Irish operation began building its first factory at Ossory Road in Dublin in 1932, with production commencing in 1933. This was Cadbury’s first factory outside England and its third factory overall. At the beginning of Irish production, the business manufactured and sold only three products, but it subsequently expanded its portfolio and manufacturing footprint. A second important site was established in Rathmore, County Kerry, in 1948. The Rathmore plant produced chocolate crumb, an intermediate ingredient used in chocolate manufacture. Its location enabled Cadbury to source and process Irish milk and helped the company avoid restrictions affecting milk production in the United Kingdom before those restrictions were removed in 1954. In 1957, production moved from the original Ossory Road factory to the company’s newer site in Coolock, which remains associated with Cadbury Ireland’s headquarters and manufacturing activities. The Coolock facility is also associated with the creation of the Twirl bar during the 1980s. Twirl became one of Cadbury’s recognizable chocolate-bar products, although the brand is sold more broadly within Cadbury’s international portfolio. Cadbury Ireland’s product range has included chocolate bars, sharing products, boxed and seasonal confectionery, and other Cadbury-branded goods. The business has also used locally sourced ingredients where available, reflecting its connection to Irish agricultural and food-production supply chains. Cadbury’s ownership changed significantly in the early twenty-first century. Kraft Foods acquired Cadbury in 2010. In 2012, Kraft Foods separated a group of its global snack and confectionery businesses into a new company named Mondelēz International, which became the corporate owner of Cadbury. In 2013, Cadbury Ireland Limited was legally renamed Mondelez Ireland Production Limited, while continuing to trade under the Cadbury name. This distinction means that the Irish legal entity and the consumer-facing Cadbury brand are related but not identical: the former is the operating company, while the latter remains the principal commercial identity presented to consumers. Cadbury Ireland has operated two Irish factories, at Coolock in Dublin and Rathmore in County Kerry. Its products are sold in Ireland and exported to roughly 30 countries. The Irish business has stated that its exports represent a significant contribution to Irish trade and that it uses Irish ingredients in its products. In February 2015, the company announced the closure of its Tallaght plant and the transfer of some production from Coolock to Poland, a restructuring that resulted in approximately 200 job losses. The episode illustrated the continuing tension between Cadbury Ireland’s long-standing local manufacturing presence and Mondelēz’s international production strategy. Today, Cadbury Ireland is best understood as a national operating and manufacturing arm of a global confectionery group. Its identity combines the heritage of Cadbury, the industrial base created in Ireland from the 1930s onward, recognizable products such as Twirl, and integration into Mondelēz International’s multinational supply and brand system.
History
Cadbury Ireland traces its corporate heritage to Cadbury, founded by John Cadbury in Birmingham in 1824. The company established an Irish manufacturing presence in Dublin during the early 1930s. Construction of the first Irish factory began at Ossory Road in October 1932, and production began in 1933. It was Cadbury’s first factory outside England and its third factory overall. The Irish business initially produced only three products. In 1948, Cadbury opened a chocolate-crumb factory at Rathmore in County Kerry. The plant was established partly to support access to Irish milk supplies and to help the company operate around restrictions affecting milk production in Britain before 1954. Rathmore became a long-term part of Cadbury’s Irish manufacturing network. The Ossory Road factory closed in 1957, with production transferred to the company’s Coolock site in Dublin. Coolock subsequently became the principal Irish location associated with Cadbury Ireland’s headquarters and chocolate production. The site is also credited with the invention of the Twirl bar during the 1980s, linking an internationally recognized Cadbury product to the Irish operation. Cadbury’s corporate ownership changed in 2010, when Kraft Foods acquired the confectionery company. In 2012, Kraft Foods formed Mondelēz International as a separate company for a portfolio of snack and confectionery brands, including Cadbury. The Irish legal entity followed this corporate change: in 2013, Cadbury Ireland Limited was renamed Mondelez Ireland Production Limited, although the business retained Cadbury as its trading and consumer brand. For much of its modern history, the Irish operation has been associated with manufacturing at Coolock and Rathmore, as well as with exports to international markets. Cadbury Ireland has stated that it exports more than 200 products to approximately 30 countries and that its activities contribute materially to Irish trade. The company also emphasizes the use of local ingredients in its products. In February 2015, the company announced that it would close its Tallaght plant and move some production from Coolock to Poland. The restructuring led to approximately 200 job losses and represented a significant change in the distribution of Cadbury manufacturing within Ireland. Despite this change, Cadbury Ireland continued to operate through its Dublin and Kerry facilities and remained part of Mondelēz International’s global manufacturing and brand network.
- 2015
Tallaght plant closure announced
[1]The company announced the closure of its Tallaght plant and the transfer of some Coolock production to Poland.
- 2013
Irish legal entity renamed
[1]Cadbury Ireland Limited became Mondelez Ireland Production Limited while continuing to trade as Cadbury.
- 2012
Mondelēz International formed
[1]Kraft Foods created Mondelēz International to hold a portfolio of snack and confectionery brands, including Cadbury.
- 2010
Kraft Foods acquired Cadbury
[1]Cadbury became part of Kraft Foods following the acquisition.
- 1980
Twirl associated with the Coolock site
[1]The Twirl bar was invented at Cadbury’s Coolock site during the 1980s.
- 1957
Production moved from Ossory Road to Coolock
[1]The original Ossory Road factory closed and production transferred to the Coolock site in Dublin.
- 1948
Rathmore chocolate-crumb plant opened
[1]Cadbury established a chocolate-crumb factory at Rathmore in County Kerry.
- 1933
Irish production commenced
[1]Cadbury’s first Irish factory began operating in Dublin, initially producing three products.
- 1932
Construction of the first Irish factory began
[1]Cadbury began constructing its first Irish factory at Ossory Road in Dublin.
- 1824
Cadbury business established in Birmingham
[1]John Cadbury established the original Cadbury business in Birmingham, creating the corporate heritage from which Cadbury Ireland later developed.
Products and positioning
A heritage British-origin chocolate brand with a long-standing Irish manufacturing presence, local ingredient connections, and broad international distribution through Mondelēz International.
Chocolate bar
Twirl
Twirl is a Cadbury chocolate bar associated with the Coolock operation, where it was invented during the 1980s. It consists of a layered, aerated chocolate structure covered in Cadbury milk chocolate. The product is part of Cadbury’s wider chocolate-bar portfolio and is sold beyond Ireland.
Chocolate confectionery
Cadbury chocolate products
Cadbury Ireland manufactures or distributes a range of Cadbury-branded chocolate confectionery for the Irish market and export destinations. The portfolio includes chocolate bars, sharing formats, boxed products, and seasonal confectionery. Specific product availability varies by market and manufacturing allocation.
Chocolate-manufacturing ingredient · 1948
Chocolate crumb
Chocolate crumb is an intermediate chocolate ingredient produced at the Rathmore facility in County Kerry. The plant was established in 1948 and supported Cadbury’s use of Irish milk supplies in chocolate manufacturing.
Brand decisions
2015
Tallaght plant closure and production reallocationStrategyBackground
Mondelēz reviewed the location and allocation of Cadbury manufacturing in Ireland and its wider European network.
Action taken
The company announced the closure of the Tallaght plant and the transfer of some production from Coolock to Poland.
Aftermath
The decision resulted in approximately 200 job losses and reduced the number of Cadbury manufacturing sites in the Dublin area.
2013
Legal renaming of the Irish operating companyStrategyBackground
Following the creation of Mondelēz International, the Irish Cadbury operating entity was aligned with the new corporate structure.
Action taken
Cadbury Ireland Limited was renamed Mondelez Ireland Production Limited while retaining Cadbury as its trading identity.
Aftermath
Consumers continued to encounter the Cadbury brand even though the legal company name changed.
2012
Creation of Mondelēz InternationalStrategyBackground
Kraft Foods reorganized its business and created a separate company for a number of global snack and confectionery brands.
Action taken
Mondelēz International was established to hold Cadbury and other relevant brands.
Aftermath
Cadbury Ireland became part of the Mondelēz International group, leading to a subsequent legal-name change for the Irish operating company.
2010
Cadbury acquisition by Kraft FoodsM&ABackground
Cadbury was acquired by Kraft Foods as part of a major change in the ownership of the Cadbury group.
Action taken
Kraft Foods completed the acquisition and incorporated Cadbury, including its Irish operation, into its corporate portfolio.
Aftermath
Cadbury later became part of Mondelēz International when Kraft Foods reorganized its snack and confectionery businesses.
Recent events
- 2015
Tallaght plant closure and production transfer announced[1]
Other
The company announced the closure of its Tallaght plant and the transfer of some production from Coolock to Poland, with approximately 200 jobs lost.
- 2013
Cadbury Ireland changed its legal name to Mondelez Ireland Production Limited[1]
Other
Cadbury Ireland Limited was formally renamed Mondelez Ireland Production Limited while continuing to trade under the Cadbury name.
- 2012
Mondelēz International created to hold Cadbury and other snack brands[1]
M&A
Kraft Foods established Mondelēz International as a new company for a group of global snack and confectionery brands, including Cadbury.
- 2010
Kraft Foods acquired Cadbury[1]
M&A
Kraft Foods completed its acquisition of Cadbury, bringing Cadbury Ireland into the Kraft Foods corporate group.
Sources1 sources
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