The company's first store, still in operation, was founded by 

Arthur Ryan on behalf of the Weston

family (who had founded Associated British Foods in 1935) in June 1969 on 47 Mary
Street, Dublin.[3][8]
Success in the Republic of Ireland led to expansion into Northern Ireland, with Penneys opening
a large store in Belfast City Centre in 1971. The company subsequently expanded outside
of Ireland with a Primark store in Derby, England, in 1973.[9] The company could not use the name
"Penneys" in Europe outside Ireland as it was registered by J. C. Penney.[10] The name "Primark"
was then invented to use outside Ireland. [3]
Primark opened its current headquarters in 2015 in a redeveloped Dublin building, Arthur Ryan
House, formerly Chapel House.[5][11][12][2]
On 28 August 2018, a fire started on the roof of a Primark store in Belfast as it came towards the
end of a major redevelopment,[13] destroying the building and emitting plumes of thick, black
smoke over the city. The building was a former bank with historical value that had been renovated
previously.[14][15] The destroyed building is currently being reconstructed. What was to be the new
store extension was saved from the fire and opened on 8 December 2018. [16]
The company's first store, still in operation, was founded by Arthur Ryan on behalf of the Weston
family (who had founded Associated British Foods in 1935) in June 1969 on 47 Mary
Street, Dublin.[3][8]
Success in the Republic of Ireland led to expansion into Northern Ireland, with Penneys opening
a large store in Belfast City Centre in 1971. The company subsequently expanded outside
of Ireland with a Primark store in Derby, England, in 1973.[9] The company could not use the name
"Penneys" in Europe outside Ireland as it was registered by J. C. Penney.[10] The name "Primark"
was then invented to use outside Ireland. [3]
Primark opened its current headquarters in 2015 in a redeveloped Dublin building, Arthur Ryan
House, formerly Chapel House.[5][11][12][2]
On 28 August 2018, a fire started on the roof of a Primark store in Belfast as it came towards the
end of a major redevelopment,[13] destroying the building and emitting plumes of thick, black
smoke over the city. The building was a former bank with historical value that had been renovated
previously.[14][15] The destroyed building is currently being reconstructed. What was to be the new
store extension was saved from the fire and opened on 8 December 2018. [16]