Who owns Iarnród Éireann?
Iarnród Éireann is owned by CIÉ (Ireland).[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Evidence: CIÉ Group Annual Report Year Ended 31 December 2024, Córas Iompair Éireann. Last checked .
Key facts
- Current owner
- Córas Iompair Éireann reported
- Owner HQ
- 🇮🇪 Ireland
- Origin
- 🇮🇪 Ireland
- Category
- Travel & transport › Railways
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann, trading as Irish Rail, provides public passenger and freight rail services in the Republic of Ireland. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of CIÉ, incorporated under section 6 of the Transport (Re-organisation of Córas Iompair Éireann) Act 1986, according to the group's 2024 annual report.
Ownership timeline of Iarnród Éireann
Where Iarnród Éireann sits in CIÉ
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full CIÉ ownership tree →
See the full CIÉ brand portfolio (3) →
Other brands owned by CIÉ
CIÉ controls 3 brands on Brandtree, 3 of them in travel & transport.
Also in travel & transport
Other brands in railways, and who owns them
The 91 brands in railways on Brandtree belong to 68 owners. The largest is DfT Operator, with 9.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| c2c | DfT Operator | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| Avanti West Coast | FirstGroup | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| Eurostar | SNCF | 🇫🇷 France |
| CPKC | CPKC | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| Linha 4 do Metrô de São Paulo | Motiva | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| Hellenic Train | FS Italiane | 🇮🇹 Italy |
| Transtar | FTAI Infrastructure | 🇺🇸 United States |
| KAI Commuter | KAI | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
About the owner: CIÉ
CIÉ is a state-owned company headquartered in Ireland. Brandtree records 3 brands under its control.
Córas Iompair Éireann is Ireland's national statutory authority for land public transport, which its 2024 annual report says is wholly owned by the Government of Ireland and reports to the Minister for Transport. The group consolidates three wholly owned operating companies, Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail), Bus Éireann and Bus Átha Cliath (Dublin Bus), plus CIÉ Tours International, a New York company that sells Irish coach tours.
🇮🇪 Iarnród Éireann and other Irish brands
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 33 brands that began in Ireland. 18 of them (55%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country; Iarnród Éireann is not one of them.
- Aer Lingus — IAG 🇬🇧
- AerCap — AerCap 🇮🇪
- Irish Ferries — ICG 🇮🇪
- Ryanair — Ryanair 🇮🇪
- SMBC Aviation Capital — SMBC Aviation Capital 🇮🇪
- Baileys — Diageo 🇬🇧
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of Iarnród Éireann?
The parent company of Iarnród Éireann is CIÉ, a state-owned company headquartered in Ireland.
Is Iarnród Éireann Irish?
Yes. Iarnród Éireann originated in Ireland and its owner, CIÉ, is also headquartered in Ireland.
Is Iarnród Éireann still owned by CIÉ?
Yes. As of 5 October 2026, Iarnród Éireann is still owned by CIÉ. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] CIÉ Group Annual Report Year Ended 31 December 2024 — Córas Iompair Éireann, Annual report; retrieved 5 October 2026.
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