Great Northern Brewery, Dundalk
Encyclopedia
The Great Northern Brewery, on the Carrick Road, Dundalk
is an Irish brewery home to Harp Lager
.
Diageo’s association with brewing in Dundalk dates back to the late 1950s, when what was then the Great Northern Brewery was bought by Smithwick’s Ale of Kilkenny
and subsequently by Guinness
.
Up until 1960, the brewery had produced stout and ale. However, in response to an increased demand for lager at that time, Guinness converted the brewery into a modern lager operation. Working with German master brewer, Dr Hermann Muender, and local ingredients, Harp Lager
was created.
Today, the brewery has extensive facilities and it produces and packs a collection of beers and ales, including Harp Lager
, Smithwick's Ale, Satzenbrau Pils, Carlsberg and Warsteiner. Some 80 people are employed across a range of disciplines including production, supply, customer service, technical and quality control.
In recent years there has been substantial investment which has seen the addition of:
However due to the declining property markets throughout the globe Diageo has reassesed its decision and put all closures on hold for the foresee able future much to the delight of the local population in Dundalk. This decision has however come at a cost with the Kegging Facilities in Dundalk being ceased and moved to St James Gate in Dublin this is expected to take place in mid-July or shortly after.The working staff shall be reduced and many contractors shall be finishing up their time meaning in effect a reduction in staff from 82 bodies to 53 bodies not taking into account the contractors.
Dundalk
Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
is an Irish brewery home to Harp Lager
Harp Lager
Harp Lager, is a pale lager brand created in 1960 by the Guinness Brewery in their Dundalk brewery. It is a leading lager brand in Ireland, and is also popular in Australia, Canada, Africa and the United States...
.
History
The Great Northern Brewery in Dundalk, Ireland is the second largest brewery in Ireland after St James’s Gate Brewery.Diageo’s association with brewing in Dundalk dates back to the late 1950s, when what was then the Great Northern Brewery was bought by Smithwick’s Ale of Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
and subsequently by Guinness
Guinness
Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
.
Up until 1960, the brewery had produced stout and ale. However, in response to an increased demand for lager at that time, Guinness converted the brewery into a modern lager operation. Working with German master brewer, Dr Hermann Muender, and local ingredients, Harp Lager
Harp Lager
Harp Lager, is a pale lager brand created in 1960 by the Guinness Brewery in their Dundalk brewery. It is a leading lager brand in Ireland, and is also popular in Australia, Canada, Africa and the United States...
was created.
Expansion
Within 12 months of launch in 1960, Harp had become an established brand throughout Ireland. A year later it was launched nationwide in Britain. This success meant that the brewery’s capacity had to be expanded to meet demand.Today, the brewery has extensive facilities and it produces and packs a collection of beers and ales, including Harp Lager
Harp Lager
Harp Lager, is a pale lager brand created in 1960 by the Guinness Brewery in their Dundalk brewery. It is a leading lager brand in Ireland, and is also popular in Australia, Canada, Africa and the United States...
, Smithwick's Ale, Satzenbrau Pils, Carlsberg and Warsteiner. Some 80 people are employed across a range of disciplines including production, supply, customer service, technical and quality control.
In recent years there has been substantial investment which has seen the addition of:
- A new brewhouse
- Additional fermentation vessels
- A pall filtration plant
- A carbonation/nitrogenation plant in the existing filtration centre.
Proposed Closure
On the 9th of May 2008, Diageo announced that the brewery, along with its Kilkenny plant, would be closed by 2013 with operations moving to either St. James's Gate or a new brewery to be built near Dublin.However due to the declining property markets throughout the globe Diageo has reassesed its decision and put all closures on hold for the foresee able future much to the delight of the local population in Dundalk. This decision has however come at a cost with the Kegging Facilities in Dundalk being ceased and moved to St James Gate in Dublin this is expected to take place in mid-July or shortly after.The working staff shall be reduced and many contractors shall be finishing up their time meaning in effect a reduction in staff from 82 bodies to 53 bodies not taking into account the contractors.