Carlton Productions

Irish vinyl pressing and cassette duplication plant, located in Dublin.
Established as Carlton Productions Limited on 7 April 1965. Other names: Carlton Productions (Records Pressing) Ltd.
Opened in 1966, it was the second ever vinyl pressing plant in Eire but the first to press LPs.
Plant Managing Director was Robert McGrattan.
By 1981, had a staff of 80 and was the only plant left in Ireland.

A parent company was established on 06 October 1967: Carlton Productions (1967) Ltd., and the plant was integrated in 1978.
Managing Director since 1978: Pat Trundle (formerly 7 years of Polydor Ireland), later ed by Noel Pearson and Michael Quinn.

Can generally be identified by either "" "C-P" or the intertwined letters monogram in the matrix. It was the only operating Irish pressing plant during the 1980's until it ceased production in 1992.
Not all pressings had the mark, so other characteristics "double dip" labels (outer elevated ring, sunken middle ring, elevated inner ring), as well as slope and single dipped centres and a single centre ridge which on closer inspection can show a very slight second ring in spots - all of which can be in combination with brown translucent vinyl and even non translucent vinyl.

Another indication is the mark of TB (3) with an intertwined TB Monogram, who was an Engineer at the plant and is credited as "Plated By".

Records pressed from lacquers or metals provided by Sonopress carry a 3-digit number 095 or 098 (for RCA and related). Often, a Sonopress matrix is also found (e.g. B-0548 or DM206396 A-3/84). In these cases, also add Mastered At - Sonopress.

Originally, Pye Records had a 50% stake in the plant but sold it in 1972 to the other shareholders.

Cassette duplication started in 1977, after the takeover of Chyme Tape Productions Ltd. (established on 4 December 1973), and operated until 1992.

Carlton Productions Ltd. was dissolved by 26 September 1986, but the plant continued to operate until 1992 under the name of Carlton Productions (1967) Ltd. Request for voluntary winding up of the company Carlton Productions (1967) Ltd. was filed in March 1992 and the company was finally dissolved in May 1995.