Dutch courage: Plans for €150m Brewery Quarter

A €150-million Brewery Quarter tourism and cultural investment is planned for the heart of Cork city, on the four-acre site vacated in 2009 by the historic firm Beamish and Crawford.

Planning permission is being lodged today with Cork City Council for the sensitive medieval city site, to allow for a 6,000 seat event centre, a “brewing experience” visitor centre, student accommodation, a viewing tower, cinemas, shops, restaurants and bars, plus some offices.

Cultural and tourism uses are being trumpeted in the proposal by joint developers, the site’s owners since 2008, Heineken Ireland and BAM Contractors — both, incidentally, multinational firms with Dutch parentage.