Galway Bay Brewing, Co Galway. Seeking a site on a Connemara tourist route, this is a BES project with backing from the Dublin Brewing Company. With a placing of £500,000, it is aimed at the lucrative Galway City market.
Celtic Brew, Enfield, Co Meath. This year-old brewery produces and bottles St Finian's ale, to be found in Tesco Ireland, Dunnes Stores and Waitrose in the UK. Also brewing a lager, the company is owned partly by beer importers Premier Worldwide Beers and partly BES funded.
Carlow Craft Brewery, Carlow. Supplying two wheat beers and an ale products from Station Road, Carlow, the promoters raised £250,000 through a BES. The brewery, selling Curim, the old Gaelic word for beer, will be operational in a converted goods store from mid-May.
The Porter House Brewery, Parliament Street, Dublin. Established two years ago, it represents the best of new premises in Temple Bar. It brews its own beers on site and stocks other micro-beers, both foreign and Irish. The Porter House is also an agent for an English company which provides the equipment and advice for emerging microbreweries.
Tipperary Brewing Company, Thurles, Co Tipperary. Refurbishing a former granary at the Mall, Thurles, Mr Bill Dwan is renewing his family's association with the drinks industry. This summer he plans to convert a former granary into a `brewhouse', pub and restaurant, with a 6,000 sq ft service area. The project is being financed by £600,000 in BES funding.
Irish Brewing Company, Newbridge, Co Kildare. Almost two years old and established under a BES, the company brews a pilsner lager which is available in off-licences, Tesco and Dunnes Stores. The company's MD, Mr Paul Tynan, used to work for GrandMet.
Biddy Early Brewery, Inagh, Co Clare. The oldest of the microbreweries, with a pub attached. The owner, Mr Peadar Garvey, brews an award-winning Black Biddy stout, Red Biddy and Real Biddy ales, and Blonde Biddy lager. "Budweiser claim the most expensive lager because they use expensive imported horses. We just use local asses," he says.
Dublin Brewing Company, North King Street, Dublin. The Smithfield brewery, established in a former soap factory, has revived an old Dublin stout name, D'Arcy's, named after John D'Arcy who set up the Anchor Brewery in the 18th century. Dublin pubs and the supermarket/off-licence trade, along with Oddbins and the Co-Op in Britain, are being targeted with the brewery's Beckett's and Revolution ales and Cobblestone lager.
West Cork Brewing Company, Clonakilty, Co Cork. Established under a £250,000 BES and with support from the West Cork County Enterprise Board, this project will be a stand-alone brewery, due to open this summer. "This will be selling and servicing the pubs in west Cork," says Mr Jim Clarken, who is also marketing manager at Carbery Plastics.
