Cork brewery to close with loss of 120 jobs

Heineken today announced the impending closure of its Beamish & Crawford brewery in Cork in March 2009 with the loss of around 120 jobs.

The company said in a statement: "The decision to transfer production operations to one site at Heineken Ireland’s Leitrim Street brewery in Cork follows a review of both individual brewing operations."

"The high costs of operating two breweries in the city, difficulties associated with expansion at the Beamish & Crawford facility and excess brewing capacity at Heineken Ireland, makes the future of the Beamish & Crawford plant unsustainable."

The move will see up to 40 employees from Beamish & Crawford transfer to Heineken Ireland and it is anticipated that approximately 120 personnel will be made redundant.

Gerrit van Loo, Managing Director, Heineken Ireland said: “This has been the most difficult decision we have had to make since we began operations here in 1983.

"However, retaining two breweries is not sustainable and the loss of so many jobs remains a sad but unavoidable outcome."

The announcement follows the approval by the Irish Competition Authority in October of the acquisition of Beamish & Crawford by Heineken.