Ford celebrates centenary in Ireland next week

Ford Ireland starts a week-long celebration next Monday of the company’s centenary in Ireland, writes Brian Byrne.

Monday 17 April 17 marks exactly 100 years since Henry Ford established Henry Ford & Son Limited on the Marina in Cork, his ancestral home city.

As part of the celebrations, Henry’s great-grandson, Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company, William Clay Ford Jr, will participate in a number of commemorative events, including a visit back to the ancestral home of the Ford family.

Henry Ford’s father, William Ford, with his siblings and parents, emigrated from Ballinascarthy, Co Cork, to the US in 1847 during the Famine. H enry was subsequently born in Michigan in 1863. Always proud of his Cork roots, he came back to the city and opened the first purpose-built Ford factory outside of North America just 14 years after setting up in Michigan.

Ciarán McMahon, Chairman and Managing Director of Ford Ireland, will welcome William Clay Ford Jr to Cork for the centenary celebrations. “It is a great opportunity to mark the wonderful legacy and contribution to Cork and indeed, Ireland, that Ford has made in that 100 years,” he said.

Mr Ford will also take part in an event at University College Cork on Friday 21 April, in discussion about ‘A world beyond cars â€" how Ford is leading the next transport evolution’.

In a conversation with former CNN anchor Gina London, Mr Ford will discuss the next transport evolution, smart mobility, technology, the environment, and autonomous vehicles. An announcement regarding a partnership between Ford and UCC will be advised following this event.

Pictured are William Clay Ford Jr and Ciarán McMahon.