One of Ireland’s most iconic companies, Waterford Wedgewood, has been sold to Finland’s Fiskars for 391 million euros.<br /><br /> Waterford glassworks was founded in 1783 but then lapsed in 1851 before being revived after the second world war.<br /><br /> Wedgewood was founded even earlier in England in 1759, and joined forces with Waterford in 1986, but six years ago the company was ruined and collapsed with a mountain of debt, despite being owned by Ireland’s richest man, Tony O’Reilly.<br /><br /> US investors KPS partners stepped in in 2009 and restored the company to health.<br /><br /> Fiskars itself has a proud history, being founded 365 years ago.
