Irish Cement celebrates eighty-five years 

On 23 May 1938, Seán Lemass, then Minister for Industry and Commerce, surrounded by other dignitaries pushed an oversized red button and two cement factories, one on the banks of the Boyne in Drogheda, the other in Mungret outside Limerick, sprang into life. The location of the Cement Ltd factories (later to become Irish Cement) had been carefully chosen to be close to abundant supplies of limestone, ports for the importation of fuel, and centres of the population for the sale of its product. From that day on, cement used in concrete and mortar has been one of the key ingredients in the foundations of the Irish State. Irish Cement has been at the forefront of manufacturing high-quality cement since 1938, and cement continues to be a critical ingredient in our modern economy. During those eight and a half decades, Irish Cement has transformed its operations through upgrades and continuous investment in the most energy-efficient cement manufacturing technology.

Today’s workforce in Irish Cement is proud of that unique heritage, and the work done by previous generations. They also recognise the responsibility of this current generation to ramp up further the pace of change. That change is to address the carbon emissions from the cement industry and to further improve the resource efficiency of its operations. The cement sector has committed to being carbon neutral by 2050 and progress is well underway. Already, a typical bag of Irish Cement has a 20% lower carbon footprint compared to the 1990s. These reductions have been achieved through energy-efficient investments, which need less energy to make each tonne of cement; the introduction of lower carbon CEM II cements, Ireland’s most popular cement; and the replacement of imported fossil fuels using locally sourced alternative fuels. Continuous investment in training and development of the workforce has underpinned these developments.

Maintaining quality and cement performance for customers remains the top priority as the company innovates and becomes more sustainable in the way it makes cement. In fifteen years, when Irish Cement will celebrate one-hundred years in business, the way cement is manufactured will be radically different from today. To achieve those improvements, further investment will be made to reduce fossil fuel consumption and make operations more resource efficient. Irish Cement is committed to maintaining its leadership position as Ireland’s high-quality cement maker, through innovation, collaboration and a recognition of its unique heritage.