Ireland

Country History

Railway Passengers Dublin letter header, 1927

1780

On 4 May, the Liberal Annuity Company of Dublin, later part of the General Accident Fire & Life Assurance Corporation, is established.

1810

The Widows General Annuity Company, later part of General Accident, is established.

1813

The Union Assurance Society, later part of the Commercial Union Assurance Company, establishes operations in Dublin. The West of England Fire & Life Insurance Company, later part of Commercial Union, claims to have a network of agents throughout Ireland by this date.

1816

The Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society and the Norwich Union Life Insurance Society are located at 2 Capel Street, Dublin.

1817

The Norwich Union Dublin board comprises Thomas Ball, Oliver Moore, Mr J B Scriven, Richard Palmer, Nicholas Mahon, William Pickering, William Wood, Jacob West, John Ball and Robert Armstrong. The resident secretary is Mr D C Roose and the medical officer is surgeon Andrew Johnston.

1819

By January, the Union has established offices at College Green, Dublin.

1821

The West of England is represented in Dublin by Samuel Ayl of 45 Bane Street.

1822

The National Assurance Company of Ireland, later part of General Accident, is established.

1828

The National of Ireland head office is established at 3 College Green. The location once served as "Daly's Club" – a coffee house and gaming club where, it was said, most of the land in Ireland changed hands over the gaming tables in the Great Card Room. It is also rumoured that the word quiz was invented here.

1830

By this date, the West of England has appointed Thomas Harvey as agent for Cork. 

1835

The North British & Mercantile Insurance Company, later part of Commercial Union, begins operating in Dublin.

1837

The County and City of Dublin Widows Fund and General Annuity Endowment Society, later part of General Accident, is established.  Following the death of the Norwich Union Life Dublin secretary, Mr Roose, an investigation reports that his sons have “misappropriated the funds of the society” and a warrant is issued for their arrest. Fearing a scandal, their mother, Lady Roose, brings a suit against Norwich Union, which is eventually settled. The Scottish National Insurance Company, later part of Norwich Union Fire, begins operating in Ireland.

1840

Norwich Union Life appoints Mr H Kearney agent for Dublin, operating from 2 Capel Street.

1844

The City of Glasgow Life Assurance Company, later part of Norwich Union Life, has now established a branch in Dublin and agents in Limerick.

1845

The Guarantee Society, later part of General Accident, has appointed Richard Smyth, Sons, & Du Bedat of 45 Dame Street as agents for Dublin by this date.

1846

The Edinburgh Assurance Company, later part of Commercial Union, establishes an agency in Dublin.

1847

The Scottish National now has operations in Dublin, Cork and Limerick while the West of England establishes an office in Dame Street, Dublin.

1848

Norwich Union Fire and Life Societies move offices to 2 College Green, Dublin.

1850

The Railway Passengers Assurance Company, later part of Commercial Union, appoints Dudgeon & Son agents for Dublin. Norwich Union Life appoints a new agent for Dublin, George Bunyon.

Commercial Union Dublin Staff, 1911

1859

Norwich Union Life appoints Mr Sharp agent for Dublin. 

1861

Norwich Union Fire and Life Societies move to new offices at 67 Upper Sackville Street, Dublin. The County and City of Dublin Widows Fund and General Annuity Endowment Society acquires the Widows General Annuity Company.

1863

On 30 April, Commercial Union appoints Robert Constable Hall as fire agent for Limerick, Fermoy, Skibbereen, Charleville, Youghall, Bantry, Mallow, Kinsale, Bandon and Clonakilty.

1864

Edinburgh Assurance opens a branch in Dublin at 55 Sackville Street.

1866

The Liberal Annuity Company of Dublin has established operations at 37 Dame Street, Dublin, under its secretary George Symes.

Commercial Union Dublin Branch, 1911

1868

The Northern Assurance Company, later part of Commercial Union, appoints Mr Richardson agent for Dublin. The company also appoints John W Watson and Mr A Williamson as agents later in the year.

1869

The Northern appoints Barton & Copland of 4 Foster Place as agents for Dublin.

1871

Scottish National has established a branch at 28 Westmoreland Street, Dublin, under resident secretary Richard Pim. The Scottish Imperial Insurance Company, later part of Norwich Union, has an agency in Dublin.

1872

The Northern now has a branch at 30 Lower Sackville Street, Dublin, under resident secretary Robert Ferrall.

1875

On 19 July, the Hibernian Plate Glass Insurance Company, later part of General Accident, is established. Norwich Union Life appoints Mr H A Dillon manager of its Dublin branch.

1876

On 8 May, the National of Ireland acquires the Liberal Annuity Company of Dublin. The Dublin branch of the Northern moves to 32 College Green and the company appoints a new secretary, Mr J T Giddy.  North British & Mercantile moves to 28 College Green, under local secretary Robert Hatton.

1877

The Scottish Union and National Insurance Company, later part of Norwich Union Fire, establishes a branch at 52 Dame Street, Dublin, under resident secretary William D Handcock.

1878

On 3 September, the National of Ireland acquires the County and City of Dublin Widows Fund and General Annuity Endowment Society.

1879

The General Accident Guarantee & Indemnity Insurance Company of Dublin, later part of Commercial Union, is established. Scottish Union and National’s resident director for Dublin is now Mr J C Colvill, who is based at Westmorland Street. The General Life and Fire Assurance Company, later part of General Accident, establishes operations in Dublin.

Liberal Annuity Company Deed of Agreement, 1868

1880

Norwich Union Fire and Life Societies move offices to 3 Palace Street, Dublin.

1881

The Lion Life and Accident Insurance Company Ltd., later part of Commercial Union, is now operating in Dublin.

1883

Norwich Union Life appoints Mr Kennedy manager for Ireland. The South British Insurance Company, later part of General Accident, is operating in Dublin, under Mr W Christie.

1887

General Accident begins operating in Ireland.

1892

Scottish Union and National has appointed Mr J George Macdonald as agent for Dublin. The Manchester Fire and Life Assurance Company, later part of Norwich Union Fire, has established operations in Dublin.

1894

Scottish Union and National appoints Frank J Wakeman as secretary for Dublin.

1896

The Commercial Insurance Company of Ireland (No.1), later part of General Accident, is established. The company’s head office is located at 17 Nassau Street, Dublin, under resident secretary George F H Scarborough. Scottish Union and National appoints Trevor Williams as Dublin secretary.

1897

The General Accident & Indemnity Company of Dublin, whose date of establishment unknown, is acquired by General Accident.

1898

The Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation acquires the General Accident Guarantee & Indemnity Insurance Company of Dublin.

1899

The Yorkshire Insurance Company, later part of General Accident, acquires the fire business of Commercial of Ireland, which has gone into liquidation.

1902

The Lion Insurance Company, later part of General Accident, has established operations in Dublin.

1903

The Accident Insurance Company, later part of Commercial Union, has appointed an agent for Dublin.

1907

On 9 May, the Celtic Insurance Company, later part of General Accident, is established.  Ocean Accident is now operating in Cork and Dublin, and the Scottish Insurance Corporation, later part of General Accident, has an office at 34 Anglesea Street, Dublin. The General Accident Dublin branch moves to 118 Grafton Street and the Yorkshire completes the acquisition of the National of Ireland. Thomas Reid, already acting for General Accident, is appointed Dublin manager for the Scottish Life Stock Insurance Company, later part of General Accident.

1908

Hibernian Plate Glass has now established operations at Exchequer Chambers, Exchequer Street, under manager Mr Hodges. The company claims to be the oldest Irish plate glass insurer. Hibernian Plate Glass is then acquired by the Yorkshire whose plan is to build up Irish business using the Hibernian name. The strategy is disrupted by the establishment, on May 28, of the Hibernian Fire & General Insurance Company, later part of Commercial Union, and the Yorkshire abandons its plan to use the Hibernian name.

1909

The International Insurance Company, later part of Commercial Union, has established a branch in Dublin while General Accident has opened a branch at 97 Patrick Street, Cork.

General Accident headed notepaper, 1907

1912

Railway Passengers Assurance has appointed Mr E Tennison Colins as local manager for Dublin.

1915

The Dublin office of the Norwich Union Fire and Life Societies moves to 63 Dawson Street.

1919

Scottish Union and National appoints a new Dublin secretary, Benjamin Claude Boles.

1920

By this date, the Guarantee and Suretyship Insurance Company, later part of Commercial Union, is operating a branch in Dublin.

1922

General Accident moves to new premises at 60 Dawson Street, Dublin.

1924

To celebrate the company centenary, the Yorkshire manager Mr Poulter and his staff go on trip to Glendalough for dinner and a concert.

1925

The British General Insurance Company, later part of Commercial Union, moves to new premises in Dublin.

1926

In April, General Accident moves to new offices in a reconstructed old Georgian house at 53 Dawson Street.

1927

Railway Passengers Assurance has moved its Dublin branch to 1 Dawson Street, under manager George F Sparrow.

1929

Fine Art & General Insurance, later part of Commercial Union, has established operations at 1 Dawson Street, Dublin.

Norwich Union Dublin branch, 1930s

1938

The Guarantee Society has moved premises to 3 College Green, Dublin.

1940

Hibernian is now represented in Cork by Mr D Stuart of 5 South Mall. South Mall is the heart of the city’s insurance district with Norwich Union Fire located at No 26, under Mr F L Sullivan; Ocean Accident at No 28, under Mr P C Ross; Norwich Union Life at No 39, under Mr J McHale; Union at No 42a, under Mr P J Daly, the Yorkshire and Celtic at No 73, under George Exshaw and Mr B Riordan and North British & Mercantile at No76, under Mr S L Horne.

1952

The General Accident office at Ulster Bank Chambers, 88 Patrick Street, Cork, is granted branch status.

1958

The General Accident Dublin branch moves to new premises at 7 Dawson Street. The company hosts a housewarming party to celebrate.

1960

General Accident opens new premises at 49 South Mall, Cork.

1964

Commercial Union acquires the majority shareholding in Hibernian.

1965

Commercial Union, Fine Art and General, British General, North British & Mercantile, Union, Railway Passengers Assurance, Ocean Accident and the Edinburgh transfer their business in Republic of Ireland to Hibernian.

1968

General Accident and the Yorkshire merge their branches in Ireland

1975

General Accident moves to new offices at Clanwilliam Court, under manager Mr Sharkey.

1976

The Hibernian Insurance Property Company, a subsidiary of Hibernian, is established, to develop retail property in Ireland.

1979

General Accident opens a new branch at Wilton for Cork.

1981

The Life Association of Ireland, later part of Hibernian, is established as a subsidiary of the Life Association of Scotland. The Life Association of Scotland, which has existed since 1844, transfers its business to the Life Association of Ireland.

1985

The Life Association of Scotland sells a 50% stake in the Life Association of Ireland to the Hibernian Group.  The company is renamed the Hibernian Life Association.

1990

Ark Life, later part of Hibernian, is established by the Allied Irish Bank.

1992

The Hibernian Group buys the remaining 50% of Hibernian Life and renames it Hibernian Life Limited.

1997

General Accident Life Ireland is established

1998

Commercial Union and General Accident merge to form CGU Insurance Plc. (CGU) while General Accident Life Ireland is renamed CGU Life.

1999

CGU acquires the Hibernian Group and incorporates its Irish operations into Hibernian.

2000

Norwich Union merges with CGU to form CGNU.  In Ireland, Norwich Union Life and Hibernian Life are merged and renamed Hibernian Life & Pensions. In June, Hibernian acquires the general insurance business of the Friends First Group in Ireland.

2006

A joint venture brings together Hibernian Life & Pensions and Ark Life to create Hibernian Life Holdings.