Condensed Milk Company of Ireland

The Condensed Milk Company of Ireland, commonly known as Cleeve's, was a major Irish food processor founded in Limerick in 1883 by the Canadian entrepreneur Sir Thomas Cleeve (1844-1908). Its products included condensed milk, creamery butter and the famous Cleeve's Toffee and it was an important supplier to the British Forces during the First World War. The collapse in the price of milk after the war led to the company's liquidation in 1923. In 1927, it became part of the new semi-state body, the Dairy Disposal Company, and continued to operate under state control until 1974, when the Dairy Disposal Company was broken up. The bulk of what remained of the Condensed Milk Company was sold to Golden Vale, now a subsidiary of the Kerry Group.