Milestone celebration for Tipp company
Abbott is marking its 80th anniversary in Ireland — a milestone that reflects eight decades of innovation, investment, and deep roots in communities across the country.
Since 1946, Abbott has grown from its earliest days in Ireland into one of the country's top 10 employers, with more than 6,200 people working across 10 sites in all four provinces. The company's Irish operations span diagnostics, diabetes care, cardiovascular health, and nutrition — producing life-changing technologies that are exported across the world and contribute to Abbott's ambition to improve the lives of three billion people globally by 2030.
The Clonmel site sits at the heart of Abbott's global cardiovascular business. This year carries a double significance for the team in Tipperary. As Abbott celebrates 80 years in Ireland, Clonmel is also marking 20 years since the drug-eluting XIENCE stent— a technology manufactured here — changed the way heart disease is treated around the world.
A drug-eluting stent is a small, expandable device placed into a narrowed artery to keep it open, while slowly releasing medication to prevent blockages from returning. Following launch, XIENCE became one of the most widely used drug-eluting stent platforms worldwide. Long-term studies later demonstrated low rates of restenosis and stent thrombosis, helping establish XIENCE as a benchmark in the DES category. Abbott subsequently expanded the platform with newer generations such as XIENCE PRIME, Xpedition, Alpine, Sierra and Skypoint. Before innovations like this, many patients with coronary artery disease faced open-heart surgery. Today, the technology supports faster recovery and better outcomes for millions of patients globally – and it is made in Tipperary.
Beyond manufacturing, Clonmel is home to a dedicated Research and Development centre, where teams are already working on the next generation of cardiovascular technologies — ensuring that the site's contribution to global heart health continues well into the future.
Speaking about the milestone, Ronan Manning, Senior Site Director at Abbott in Clonmel, said: "Clonmel has been at the heart of cardiovascular innovation for over two decades. The combination of manufacturing and R&D here means our team plays a vital role not just in delivering today's life-saving technologies, but in shaping the future of patient care. Marking 80 years of Abbott in Ireland is a proud moment, and I'm delighted to celebrate it with the people who make this work possible every day."
Abbott's presence in Clonmel extends well beyond healthcare innovation. Across Ireland, Abbott's employee-driven community programme — Croí an Óir (Heart of Gold) — has raised more than €3 million and supported hundreds of charities nationwide since 2007. Locally, Abbott employees in Clonmel have raised over €650,000 for local charities including €250,000 for the Dillon Quirke Foundation, an initiative dedicated to funding cardiac screening for young people involved in sport. The Foundation was established in memory of Tipperary GAA player Dillon Quirke, who died suddenly during a match in 2022 following an undetected heart condition. The support from Abbott's Clonmel team is helping to fund the early detection of potentially life-threatening heart conditions in young athletes – a cause that connects deeply with the life-saving work the site carries out every day. In addition, Abbott employees in Clonmel have also raised a further €400,000 for other local causes.
As Abbott marks 80 years in Ireland, Clonmel stands as a site with a proud heritage, an active role in global healthcare, and a strong future. To support its ongoing work in cardiovascular manufacturing and R&D, Abbott is actively growing its team in Tipperary. Those who want to do work that matters — backed by 80 years of heritage in Ireland and more than 135 years of global history — are encouraged to explore open opportunities at https://abbo.tt/Opportunities-in-Ireland.