Citigroup and its predecessors have had a presence in Ireland since 1965. During the 1960’s, the First National City Bank, a US bank, undertook rapid expansion and opened up new overseas offices in 10 countries including Ireland. The bank had already been operating in Europe since 1902.
 
The bank opened its Dublin office on 6th May 1965 at 1 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 (now a bookshop). The bank moved very shortly afterwards to 71 Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2 in 1967 where it remained until 1993. During the intervening years, the bank operated a full service corporate and commercial branch. In 1976 the bank changed its name to Citibank, N.A.
 
With the advent of the International Financial Services Centre in 1987, the bank took a strategic decision to relocate to this new development. In 1993, the bank and its staff of 80 moved to IFSC House at Custom House Quay.
 
Shortly afterwards in 1996, due to the prevalence of favourable economic conditions, the bank established a Dublin Service Centre to centralise cash management and securities services operations which led to a tenfold increase in employee numbers. This was a major

  expansion of the Irish operation which now required a new premises to house all the Citibank activities. The bank was operating out of 5 different locations and in 1998 started construction on a 375,000 sq ft building in the 12-acre extension of the IFSC. This was the largest single office block building to be constructed in Dublin for over 20 years at the time.
 
In the same year, Citicorp (Citibank’s parent company) merged with the Traveler’s Group to form Citigroup. At the time it was the largest merger in history. As a direct result of the merger, Salomon Smith Barney, the investment banking arm of Citigroup opened an equities sales desk in Dublin in 1999. Shortly afterwards this was followed by the insurance arm of the bank, Primerica who opened an underwriting office for the Spanish market, Citilife Financial Services, in 2000. Salomon Smith Barney also established an investment banking advisory service in Dublin in 2000.
 
Meanwhile the new Citigroup building was on schedule and the first employees moved into the building in September 1999 while it was still under construction. The building was completed in 2000 and officially opened in September of that year by the Taosieach, Bertie Ahern and Sanford I. Weill, Chairman, Citigroup. 		 

In May 2001, the bank was granted a banking licence for Citibank Ireland Financial Services plc to engage in a full range of banking services, primarily acting as one of the four main operating vehicles for European originated business. Moody’s Investors Services has assigned a long term deposit rating of Aa1 and a short term deposit rating of Prime -1 to Citibank Ireland Financial Services plc.
 
In July 2005, Citigroup Ireland announced the creation of a Research and Development Centre of Excellence with an investment of €10 million. This is the first dedicated R&D Centre established by Citigroup worldwide and the first ever R&D investment by a financial services company in Ireland. The bank also celebrated 40 years in Ireland this year.
 
In July 2006, Citibank Ireland Financial Services plc was renamed Citibank Europe plc to reflect the level of business being managed by this successful legal vehicle. In November 2006, the Dublin Service Centre celebrated 10 years of operation.