B&C history book launched

The official launch of the Heineken Ireland-commissioned publication Beamish & Crawford: The History of an Irish Brewery took place recently in the unique and appropriate setting of the Long Room of Cork’s Crawford Art Gallery.

This book provides a valuable insight into the brewing industry in Cork and the city’s rich legacy of trade and commerce.

The book also acts as a reference for historians working on the economic, social and commercial history of Cork and indeed Ireland over the last three centuries.

It was researched and written by Donal Ó’Drisceoil and Diarmuid Ó’Drisceoil, who in the course of their work have made extensive use of the brewery archives donated by Heineken Ireland to the people of Cork and now held at the Cork City & County Archives in Blackpool.

“Heineken Ireland are very proud to have supported the publication of this book,” said Heineken Ireland’s Managing Director Maggie Timoney, “We’re very much aware of the significant role that Beamish & Crawford and all who worked there played in the socio-economic history of Cork down through the years. This book will provide a special insight into our past. It will protect Beamish & Crawford’s heritage and the special role it played in the history of Cork for the future generations to come.”

One of the co-authors, Diarmuid O’Drisceoil, explained that the project made use of nearly three centuries of archive material to tell the story of the brewery and the people who worked there.

“Cork has a rich brewing heritage and the Cork Porter Brewery of Beamish & Crawford on South Main Street was an integral part of that,” he said.

The book launch was attended by a number of Cork dignitaries including the Lord Mayor Cllr Chris O’Leary.