Johnston Mooney and O'Brien

Johnston Mooney and O'Brien is Ireland's oldest baking company, founded in 1835.^[4][5] Its products are distributed nationwide by 120 distributors.^[6]

The business was founded as Johnston's Bakery in 1835 in Ballsbridge, Dublin. Later in the 19th century, it merged with Mooney's Bakery and O'Brien's Bakery to form Johnston Mooney and O'Brien.^[7][8] By the 1890s, the business began specialising in wedding cakes and birthday cakes, which were made to order.^[9][10]

By the 1920s, the business had ten cake and bread shops located throughout Dublin, in Cabra, Camden Street, Capel Street, Dominick Street, Dún Laoghaire, Finglas, Kimmage, Parnell Square, Rathmines and Stillorgan. The business also operated the Clonliffe Flour Mills on Jones Road, Dublin.^[11][12][13]

In 1931-1932, the business constructed a new bakehouse in Ballsbridge.^[14] In 1935-1936, it constructed a second bakehouse at 7-8 Leinster Street South in Dublin city centre.^[15][16]

Johnston Mooney and O'Brien was the first bakery to introduce the sliced pan to Ireland, in the 1930s.^[17]

In the 1960s, the business replaced its horse-drawn delivery vans with a fleet of electric vans.^[18][19]

In 1975, the business launched the Bundy's sub-brand, which specialises in burger buns, hot dog rolls, baps and similar products.^[20]

In February 1989, in the context of a national supermarket price war (which itself had led to the collapse of the H Williams supermarket chain in 1987), it was announced that Johnston Mooney and O'Brien's bakery in Ballsbridge was to close after some 150 years in operation. At that time, the business had 485 direct employees in addition to its self-employed delivery drivers.^[21][22] In the 1990s, the business moved its bread plant to Jamestown Road, Finglas.^[23]

As of 2003, the business employed 206 people. The number employed fell to 195 in 2004.^[24]

As of December 2025, the business continues to operate two bakeries, with a bread plant in Finglas, Dublin, and its Bundy's plant in Clonee, County Meath.^[25][26]

Johnston Mooney and O'Brien's main competitors include Brennans Bread and Pat the Baker.