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Niall Carson/PA

Most of Ireland's biggest companies aren't Irish at all

Microsoft is now the biggest company in Ireland in terms of turnover.

MICROSOFT HAS PASSED Irish construction company CRH to become Ireland’s largest firm in terms of turnover.

In The Irish Times Top 1,000 companies survey for 2015, Microsoft takes the top spot with an annual turnover of €19.8 billion. It is among the seven multinationals in the top ten.

Just three Irish companies made it into the top ten, with CRH in second place and Irish energy company DCC taking fifth place.

Google took third place and medical devices group Medtronic made it into the top 1- for the first time, following its acquisition of Irish based Covidien for $50 billionn.

Social media giant Facebook is on the rise, having climbed nine places to 28th. Turnover at its Dublin operation stood at almost €3 billion in 2013.

Others like Tesco have slipped down the list. The beleaguered supermarket chain dropped ten places to 30th.

There was good news on the financial front as Bank of Ireland, AIB and Ulster Bank all made profits for the first time since the crash.

The survey shows that 80 companies in this sector recorded a net profit of €7.1 billion. However the most profitable organisation in Ireland, with profits exceeding €2 billion, is the Central Bank.

The full list of 1,000 companies can be found here but these are the top 10:

  1. Microsoft
  2. CRH
  3. Google
  4. Medtronic plc
  5. DCC
  6.  Ingersoll Rand
  7. Actavis
  8. Dell Ireland
  9. Smurfit Kappa
  10. Oracle

Read: For the first time in seven years, Ireland’s unemployment rate is under 10%>

Read: ‘We didn’t expect the banks were going to implode’>

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23 Comments
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    Mute BMC
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    May 22nd 2015, 7:06 AM

    “Most of Ireland’s biggest companies aren’t Irish at all.” Stop. The. Presses.

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    Mute HULK SMASH!
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    May 22nd 2015, 6:43 AM

    I pretty sure Cisc O’systems are

    87
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    Mute Jack Dunne
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    May 22nd 2015, 7:03 AM

    Ireland is a false economy, the multi-national republic..

    81
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    Mute Cheeky Bums
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    May 22nd 2015, 7:09 AM

    What about all the jobs they create?

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    Mute Cheeky Bums
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    May 22nd 2015, 7:16 AM

    Maybe all the MNCs should pull out, then you won’t have anything to complain about.

    I work for a MNC; pay and conditions are far better than any indigenous companies I’ve worked for or any of my friends work for.

    107
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    Mute Jack Dunne
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    May 22nd 2015, 7:40 AM

    They will pull out en masse when a new cheaper version of Ireland is born in Asia, then you will we realise that these MNC’s enslave us to produce their products but do not provide the skills to help us create our own produce

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    Mute Emily Elephant
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    May 22nd 2015, 7:43 AM

    It’s way cheaper to make pharmaceuticals or med devices in India or China than it is in Ireland or Italy. So if it’s all about cost and slavery, why isn’t this happening?

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    Mute Padriag O'Traged
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    May 22nd 2015, 7:48 AM

    Yeah because working for Google is just like slavery. You pillock.

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    Mute beebop
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    May 22nd 2015, 7:54 AM

    Apple are in Ireland nearly 30 years and investing massively in a new facility so you’re wrong about them pulling out en masse, unless Something crazy happens like SF or AAA get into govt.

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    Mute Emily Elephant
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    May 22nd 2015, 9:01 AM

    If the US tighten up the rules, how likely is that that MNCs will thrown in the towel and pay 40%+ in the US? No, they’ll take steps to comply with the new rules, which will probably mean adding more substance in Ireland. This is an opportunity as well as a threat.

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    Mute Allan Farrell
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    May 22nd 2015, 9:10 AM

    @beebop.in fairness its a data centre. Not many people needed to run one.maybe 100 at most

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    Mute seamus mcdermott
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    May 23rd 2015, 2:23 AM

    If they raise the rate in the US, they’ll quietly open big loopholes for the MNCs to drive through. Did you just fall off the turnip truck? That’s what they do here as well, except for the “raise the rates” part. ;-)

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    Mute Finbarr Quirke
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    May 22nd 2015, 6:55 AM

    Wouldn’t have of this list apply to most countries

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    Mute Katie Next
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    May 22nd 2015, 7:23 AM

    Yes Bank of Ireland pillar bank and all that not Irish I just wish they would take Irish out of the name it’s a disgrace. The central bank of Ireland just an out house for ECB

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    Mute Patrick Cusack
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    May 22nd 2015, 6:18 AM

    That is an old stock image folks. Logo changed years ago.

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    Mute up3bs9LF
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    May 22nd 2015, 7:28 AM

    Laws of nature cannot be changed by statute laws.

    Statute laws can only mearly mimick, something, ink on paper, cannot change the intrinsic reality of nature.

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    Mute Padriag O'Traged
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    May 22nd 2015, 7:49 AM

    Douchebag

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    Mute little jim
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    May 22nd 2015, 9:10 AM

    The laws of nature are based on change.
    Everything evolves, such is life.

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    Mute Alan Corlett
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    May 22nd 2015, 10:04 AM

    Agreed David, human nature is always going to prevail when setting up a business as if you can set up production in your sales area you can make better profit.
    The legislation varies from country to country, but like you say, its only ink and can usually be changed for employment reasons.

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    Mute seamus mcdermott
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    May 23rd 2015, 2:21 AM

    The next phase–

    Instead of collecting corporate taxes, we’ll give the multinationals money for moving here….oh, wait.

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    Mute Tony Le Blanc
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    May 22nd 2015, 12:17 PM

    Well D’uh

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    Mute John Reid
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    May 26th 2015, 3:11 AM

    test

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    Mute paul kelly
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    May 22nd 2015, 7:14 PM

    I thought supermacs would be in there, at least in the top 5

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