An Taoiseach joined Senator Mary Ann O’Brien and her staff in Lily O’Brien’s Newbridge to celebrate the company’s 21st Birthday and its involvement with The Big Egg Hunt for Jack & Jill

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny T.D. was in Lily O’Brien’s Chocolate Factory in Newbridge with Senator Mary Ann O’Brien to celebrate 21 years of Lily O’Brien’s and to mark the company’s sponsorship of The Big Egg Hunt in aid of the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation, of which Mary Ann is the co-founder.

As part of the celebrations on 1st March, the Taoiseach saw firsthand the largest chocolate egg ever made in Ireland created by Lily O’Brien’s in celebration of its title sponsorship of the Big Egg Hunt in aid of the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation. Standing 2.4m tall and weighing more than 880kg, the chocolate egg was hand decorated with white chocolate lilies and jewels. As co-founder of the Jack & Jill Foundation, Mary Ann O’Brien explains what it has meant to the company to have been part of the Big Egg Hunt 2013 – “For years we have been trying to find a project to work with Jack & Jill on, and so when the Big Egg Hunt presented itself we just had to be part of it. We’re thrilled to be title sponsor of this magical event which brings culture, art, social responsibility and family fun to Dublin City in the lead up to Easter.”

Today the company employs 120 full time staff and produces up to 60 tonnes of chocolates per week from its repertoire of over 180 different chocolate recipes. For the past five years the company has been Ireland’s top performing indigenous chocolate brand within the premium confectionery category, with consistent 15% market share (Nielsen, 2012: sales in multiple retailers).