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Landmark Guinness factory could move after 250 years
 Diageo
is set to call time on the home of Guinness.
The drinks giant confirmed it is reviewing the future of the 250-year-old
site near the River Liffey after speculation that it may sell the factory
to property developers.
It wants to move production to a new site outside the city.
The future of the plant, once the biggest brewery in the world, is tied-up
with a review of Diageo’s total operations in Ireland which includes
three other breweries in Dundalk, Kilkenny and Waterford and employs 2,200
staff.
Guinness sales in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe have fallen rapidly
in recent years.
Overall European sales slumped by seven per cent in the first half of
the year and Diageo recently said it plans to gear-up its marketing spend.
The St. James’ Gate brewery a key landmark in Dublin tourist guides
exports to more than 45 countries.
It has also made all the black- stuff for the Irish market since 1759.
And since the closure of London’s Park Royal brewery two years ago
it also makes all of Britain’s Guinness.
Guinness and St. James’ have been synonymous since then but with
the site showing its age and the area ripe for development Diageo sees
the opportunity to finance the construction of a modern plant elsewhere.
Diageo said: “All options are going to be looked at but no outcome
has been decided.”
The Guinness legacy began when Richard father of founder Arthur Guinness
was a land steward in Dublin.
Part of his duties was to supervise the brewing of beer for workers on
the estate where Arthur first learnt the art of brewing.
Arthur later decided to acquire what was then a small, disused and ill-equipped
brewery at St. James’ Gate.
When the lease was first signed back in 1759 it was for 9,000 years at
an annual rent of £45.
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