Pints, conversation and tears flow as historic Beamish brewery closes

THE conversation isn’t the only thing that flows when it comes to Beamish — yesterday the tears were flowing too among seasoned drinkers of that mellow blended stout.

At 5pm, the gates of Cork’s oldest brewery closed, marking the end of operations and the end of an era for tipplers and workers whose long association with the brand is encapsulated in the slogan: “A familiar face, a familiar seat, a familiar price.”

Outside the railings, Green Party local election candidate and secretary of the National Conservation and Heritage Group (NCHG), Michael Murphy, placed a wreath of black tulips from Amsterdam.

“It’s a message to the Dutch brewers that we see this takeover as an attempt to destroy part of our history and tradition by closing down Beamish,” Mr Murphy said.

He said the NCHG had offered to take over the four-acre site at the NCHG’s expense for two years and turn part of it into a micro-brewery, but the offer had been rejected by Heineken.

Damien Cassidy, chairman of the NCHG, said the Beamish and Crawford brewery had too long a tradition with Cork not to fight to retain it.

“Generations of families were reared around this brewery, right around this whole block of the city, including the Crawfords associated with the Crawford Art Museum. Our concern now is that they’ll find a reason not to brew Beamish at all.”

Mr Cassidy pointed to an open-top double-decker bus bearing the name “Cork city tours” that passed by the gates of the brewery.

“Beamish’s was on the route for tourists. It’s mentioned as a tourist attraction on leaflets in travel agencies in the USA. It was very popular with American tourists. We have to fight to keep it alive,” Mr Cassidy said.

The Dubliner is a well-known campaigner to preserve sites significant in Irish culture, including the sustained Bewley’s campaign that ultimately resulted in the re-opening of the Bewley’s landmark café on Dublin’s Grafton Street. He also worked for 20 years on restoring Kilmainham Gaol, which is now an award-winning museum.

The Beamish brewery is just as significant in terms of its historic value, Mr Cassidy said.

“I know the front of the building is a protected structure, but all that means is the front will be preserved and you could have towering office blocks to the rear. The attraction of the Guinness St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin is that the brewing operation continues to be part and parcel of the site’s attraction.”

Across the road in the Oval Bar, a former Beamish-owned pub, Mayoman Mark Foody raised a glass to the end of a long Cork tradition, and bar manager James Cotter remarked on a “terrible loss”.

“It’s a shame, Beamish workers have been regulars here over the years and it must be hard for them. It’s our best seller and we are sorry to see the brewery close.”

In the Spailpín Fánach, a group of Beamish pensioners gathered for a couple of emotional toasts, and across the South Gate Bridge, in Forde’s Bar, Gerard Murphy from Douglas shook his head in disgust.

“It’s a beautiful pint and it’s terrible to think the brewery that produced it is closing down,” he said.

Dermot Donovan, from Minane Bridge, was enjoying his pint.

“It’s improved greatly since Heineken took it over,” he said mischievously.

Heineken. The Last Word in Beer.

Brewing history

THE Beamish & Crawford brewery was founded in 1792 by William Beamish and William Crawford.

They purchased an existing brewery from Edward Allen on a site in Cramer’s Lane that had been used for brewing since at least 1650, and possibly as early as 1500.

Beamish & Crawford’s Cork Porter Brewery prospered — by 1805, it was the largest brewery in Ireland and the third largest in Britain and Ireland.

In that year, its output was 100,000 barrels per annum — up from 12,000 barrels in 1792.

It remained the largest Irish brewery until overtaken by Guinness in 1833.

In 1865, the brewery underwent a modernisation programme and was completely revamped at a cost of £100,000.

The company went public in 1901, issuing a share capital of £480,000.

Further expansion was aided by the acquisition of a number of local breweries in the early 1900s.

In 1962, it was purchased by the Canadian brewing firm Carling-O’Keefe, who embarked on a modernisation programme at the brewery. In 1987, Elders IXL purchased Canadian Breweries (incorporating Carling-O’Keefe). In 1995, Elders sold the brewery to Scottish and Newcastle.

With the 2008 takeover of Scottish and Newcastle, the brewery passed into the hands of its main Cork-based rival, Heineken International.

In December 2008, it was announced that the Beamish & Crawford brewery was to close with the loss of 120 jobs.