Their core business is to provide vision, leadership and value to the co-operative movement in Ireland. They use their collective voice to put the needs of the co-operative movement and their member co-ops to the forefront of what they do. They draw upon the pioneering, innovative and tenacious spirit of their founding members to help strengthen their co-operatives operating in today’s ever changing and competitive world.

ICOS member co-operatives and their associated companies collectively have over 150,000 individual members, employ >12,000 people in Ireland (a further 24,000 abroad) and have a combined turnover of almost €15 billion. Starting from agriculture co-op roots, and the vision of their founding President, Sir Horace Plunkett in 1894, ICOS today has evolved to serve the co-operative sector in seven core categories, namely:

• Multipurpose dairy co-ops
• Livestock sector co-ops
• Store, trade and  wholesale co-ops
• Service-related co-ops
• Community-oriented, culture and leisure co-ops
• Food, fishing and beverage co-ops
• Advisory and education-related co-ops

HISTORY

In 1889, Ireland’s first co-operatives were established in Doneraile, Co. Cork and the first co-operative creamery was opened in Dromcollogher, Co. Limerick.

Adopting the Danish Co-operative Model, the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society Ltd. (later renamed the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society Limited - ICOS), was formed in 1894 by Sir Horace Plunkett and his friends.

On the recommendation of the poet and playwright W.B Yeats, one of the first ICOS employees was the poet, painter, mystic and practical economist, George William Russell, otherwise known as Æ.

• The seeds for the Credit Union movement in Ireland were sown within ICOS by Fr Tom Finlay. Based on the Raiffeisen system, Ireland’s First Co-operative Agricultural Credit Society was set up in Co. Cork in November 1894.
• Sir Horace Plunkett helped establish the forerunner to today’s Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Food in Ireland. The Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland (DATI) was formed in 1899.
• With the advice and financial support of ICOS the Society of the United Irishwomen was formed in 1910. In 1935 the Society of the United Irishwomen changed its name to the Irish Countrywomen’s Association (ICA).
• Evolving from their small co-operative beginnings in Ireland, multi-billion euro companies like Aryzta AG, Glanbia, Irish Dairy Board and Kerry Group have established a global market present.
• Marketed through the Irish Dairy Board and available in over 50 countries around the globe, the ‘Kerrygold’ brand is Ireland’s only truly internationally-known food brand.
• Much of the cream for the world’s no. 1 cream liqueur, Baileys Irish Cream, is taken from ICOS co-operative member farms.