By Gordon Deegan
The sod has been turned on Guinness producer, Diageo’s new €200 million state-of-the-art carbon neutral brewery in Littleconnell, Newbridge, Co. Kildare.
The start of construction comes two months after sole objector to the brewery, John Lynch withdrew his High Court challenge seeking to quash An Bord Pleanala’s December green light for the project.
The farmer and undertaker withdrew his proceedings after successful mediation talks with Guinness producer, Diageo.
Brewery
Plans were first lodged for the brewery in July 2022 and a Diageo spokeswoman said on Monday (July 1) that “the target date for the brewery to begin production is 2026 and it will facilitate the growth of overall beer exports from Ireland”.
“It will also facilitate enhanced capacity for the production of the fast-growing Guinness 0.0 at the traditional home of Guinness at St James’s Gate in Dublin,” she said.
The new facility will brew lagers and ales including Rockshore, Harp, Hop House 13, Smithwick’s, Kilkenny and Carlsberg.
With a capacity of 2 million hectolitres, it will be the second largest brewing operation in Ireland after St. James’s Gate and support the future growth of Diageo Ireland’s beer brands.
Colin O’Brien, category head global beer supply with Diageo, said: “Following the announcement of our plans to construct this new brewery in 2022, we are delighted to have reached this significant landmark through the beginning of construction works.
“As a global business this new brewery is a major development for Diageo in Ireland and around the world.”
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and TD for Kildare South, Martin Heydon, was present at the sod turning ceremony.
“This €200 million investment by Diageo is hugely important and is great news for Ireland’s food and drink industry and also for the local economy and community here in Kildare,” he said.
Chief executive of Kildare County Council, Sonya Kavanagh said that the develop “is a real vote of confidence for the entire county to have such a major company that produces iconic brands locating a brand-new facility here in Kildare”.
The new brewery for Littleconnell is to provide a major jobs boost to the Kildare area providing up to 1,000 jobs during the 20 month construction period and will lead to the creation of a further 70 jobs when operational.
Kildare County Council had granted planning permission for the project in March 2023 but the brewery plan was stalled after John Lynch and a man at the centre of RTÉ Investigates allegations concerning payoffs to objectors in the planning system, John Callaghan through his Sustainability 2050 entity separately appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála.
Callaghan withdrew his appeal on November 23 last prior to the appeals board grant of permission in December.