National archives release: Three-man delegation to Ford annoyed Bruton

The then minister for industry, trade, commerce, and tourism John Bruton was annoyed that two other ministers were to accompany him to the US in April 1984 to meet representatives of car manufacturer Ford in a bid to salvage some jobs for its plant in Cork.

In one of the blackest days for unemployment that year, the chairman and managing director of Ford Ireland, Paddy Hayes, announced the closure of its car assembly plant in Cork, with the loss of 800 jobs, on January 17, 1984. It was the first Ford plant in Europe established by the company’s founder, Henry Ford, whose father was from West Cork.

State papers released under the 30-year rule show that the government led by then-taoiseach Garret FitzGerald made strenuous efforts to persuade Ford to continue some manufacturing operation at its plant in Ireland.