Letterkenny Chip factory - 1981 & 1987 (Donegal; Ireland)

The first frozen chip potato processing plant in the Republic of Ireland opens in Donegal. The new potato chip factory at Ballyraine in Letterkenny in County Donegal was officially opened by Minister for Agriculture Ray MacSharry on 25 May 1981. The company, Food Products (Donegal) Limited, is owned by Donegal business people and farmers and is producing pre-cooked frozen chips. It's the first potato-processing plant of its kind in the Republic of Ireland and up to this all pre-cooked chips have had to be imported. Food Products (Donegal) Limited employs 30 people and hopes to increase this to 90 when in full production. At present the factory is processing up to 50 tonnes of potatoes a day. It will process 30,000 tonnes of potatoes and 15,000 tonnes of chips annually. Report broadcast on 5 June 1981 A report on Donegal Foods Limited, a potato chip factory. Report shows chips being processed in plant as Tommie Gorman recounts a brief history of the business. interview with Pat Coleman, Donegal Foods Limited, who states that the company aim to gain a large portion of the European potato import market Report broadcast on 15 July 1987