Ireland: Heineken to consider transforming Beamish and Crawford brewery into a tourist centre

Heineken is to consider seriously a proposal to redevelop Ireland’s oldest brewery, Beamish and Crawford, in Cork as a tourist centre similar to the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, The Irish Times communicated on January, 16.

A heritage group set up to save the brewery building on South Main Street in the city centre held what it described as “a very fruitful meeting” with the directors of Heineken.

In a major blow to workers, Heineken Ireland announced in December its intention to close the Beamish and Crawford brewery with the loss of 120 jobs.

A committee comprising representatives of three heritage groups has since been set up in an effort to save the brewery building with its distinctive mock-Tudor facade.

National Conservation and Heritage Group chairman Damien Cassidy was part of the delegation that met Heineken directors on January, 15.

He said the company had promised to “give close consideration to a sensitive development of the site” during a very positive meeting.

Mr Cassidy said the delegation was taken on a tour of Murphy’s brewery and were impressed by the way in which Heineken had restored the historic building since it took over the company 10 years ago.

Mr Cassidy said Beamish would continue brewing at the Cork site until March and the heritage group had asked Heineken to then consider transforming the property into a visitor centre and microbrewery similar to Guinness in Dublin and Murphy’s in Cork.

“The Beamish and Crawford brewery is either 300 or 400 years old, nobody can be sure but it’s certainly the oldest brewery in Ireland,” he said. “After yesterday’s meeting, it’s in good hands as far as I’m concerned. All of the suggestions we put forward yesterday were courteously received and will be put before the next board meeting of Heineken.”

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Brian Bermingham, has already endorsed proposals for a heritage or tourism complex at the site, saying the city-centre location would be ideal for such a venture.

16 January, 2009