Apple’s European headquarters, located in Cork, Ireland — image credit: Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote to Ireland’s new prime minister to congratulate him and talk about the future of the company in the country.
Ireland is Apple’s base for the whole of its non-US sales, and was at the center of a decade-long tax dispute between Apple and the EU. On January 23, 2025, Micheal Martin became Ireland’s Taoiseach, or prime minister, for the second time, and Tim Cook sent him congratulations in the following week.
The text of Cook’s letter has now been seen by The Irish Times, and excerpts from it include the Apple CEO describing Ireland as “incredibly important” to the company.”
“We look forward to continuing to work with you and your coalition partners in the years ahead,” begins the letter, which does not mention the EU dispute directly. It does, though, see Cook saying that Apple is looking “forward to Ireland’s continued leadership at an EU level.”
That comment is in part because the European Union annually rotates which country assumes the presidency of the Council of the EU. Ireland is due to hold the post from July 2026, and Cook describes that as being “a significant milestone.”
Cook also praises Apple’s more than 6,000 employees in Ireland, and wrote about the expansion of the company’s Cork campus.
“This work prioritizes public transport and recognizes Ireland’s continued commitment to support inward investment and infrastructure delivery,” he said. “Ireland is incredibly important to Apple, and it is truly our second home.”
Cook concludes his letter by saying he would be “delighted to welcome you here in Cupertino.”
The letter was released to The Irish Times through a Freedom of Information request, and was accompanied by a statement from the Government which said that Amazon had sent similar congratulations. The statement says that Micheal Martin has replied, “acknowledging the long-standing contribution of both companies and thanking them for their continued investment.”
In 2020, Apple celebrated 40 years in Cork, Ireland. Since then, the company has been steadily expanding its presence in the country, including with a product testing facility that opened in 2022.
