Beamish and Crawford

Beamish and Crawford was a historic Irish brewing company based in Cork and one of the country’s major porter and stout producers. Its origins lay in the Cork Porter Brewery, founded in 1791 by merchants William Beamish and William Crawford together with Richard Barrett and Digby O’Brien. Brewing began in January 1792 on a site with a long brewing history near Cork’s South Gate. The partnership was formed during a period when changes in taxation made locally brewed Irish porter more competitive with imported British porter. The company expanded rapidly during its first decades. Production rose from approximately 12,000 barrels in 1793 to more than 63,000 barrels in 1800, and reached about 100,000 barrels a year by 1805. By then, the brewery was the largest in Ireland and among the largest in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. After Barrett’s departure in 1799, the name Beamish and Crawford became increasingly associated with the business, although the company continued to trade for a time as the Cork Porter Brewery. The firm remained a leading Cork and Irish brewer through the nineteenth century, despite periodic setbacks caused by temperance campaigns, famine-related economic disruption and intensifying local competition. Beamish and Crawford’s historic dominance in Cork was challenged after James J. Murphy established the Lady’s Well Brewery in 1856. Murphy’s competed through pricing and control of public houses, and the two companies signed an agreement for mutual non-interference in 1861. Beamish and Crawford nevertheless achieved a major sales peak around that period and undertook a substantial modernization of its brewery in 1865. The company became a public company in 1901 and used acquisitions of local breweries to support further expansion. Ownership changed repeatedly in the twentieth century. Canadian Breweries, through Carling-O’Keefe, acquired the company in 1962 and modernized the Cork operation. Elders IXL acquired Canadian Breweries in 1987, and Scottish & Newcastle purchased the brewery in 1995. Heineken International became the owner following its 2008 takeover of Scottish & Newcastle. In December 2008, Heineken announced that the Beamish and Crawford brewery would close in March 2009. Brewing was transferred to Heineken’s nearby Cork facility, formerly the Murphy’s brewery, and around forty Beamish employees moved to the new operation after the closure. The company’s best-known product was Beamish stout, a dry Irish stout that remains associated with Cork and continues to be brewed by Heineken. Beamish Red, an Irish red ale, was also produced but was discontinued after the Heineken takeover. Before the brewery closure, Beamish and Crawford additionally brewed or distributed international brands including Foster’s, Kronenbourg 1664 and Miller under Irish franchise or distribution arrangements. Heineken later retained Foster’s in its portfolio, while Miller distribution arrangements changed. The original brewery buildings remain in Cork’s medieval city centre, including the Tudor-fronted counting house. Although the operating brewery ceased to exist as an independent production site, the historic premises have been considered for visitor, cultural and events uses. Beamish and Crawford therefore survives primarily as a heritage name and beer brand rather than as an independent brewing company.

Beamish and Crawford developed from the Cork Porter Brewery, established in 1791 during a period of rapid growth in Ireland’s porter trade. William Beamish and William Crawford, merchants who had entered into partnership in 1785, joined Richard Barrett and Digby O’Brien in acquiring an existing brewery on Cramer’s Lane in Cork. The site had been used for brewing since at least the seventeenth century and possibly earlier. The new partnership advertised for barley in August 1791, began brewing on 17 January 1792 and started selling its products in June of that year. The company grew quickly. It produced roughly 12,000 barrels of porter in 1793 and more than 63,000 barrels in 1800. By 1805, output had reached approximately 100,000 barrels annually, making the brewery Ireland’s largest and one of the largest in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The business name Beamish and Crawford became established after Richard Barrett left the partnership in 1799. William Beamish died in 1828 and was succeeded in the business by his son Francis Bernard Beamish, while William Crawford Jr. became the Crawford family’s acting partner in 1834. The brewery’s nineteenth-century performance was affected by social and economic changes. The temperance movement associated with Father Theobald Matthew reduced Irish beer consumption substantially between 1837 and 1843, and Beamish and Crawford’s output fell during the same period. Sales later recovered, but the wider economic consequences of the Great Famine constrained longer-term growth. Competition also became more intense in Cork after James J. Murphy opened the Lady’s Well Brewery in 1856. Murphy’s pursued an aggressive commercial challenge through public-house acquisitions and pricing. The two brewers reached a mutual non-interference agreement in 1861, but Murphy’s had by then become a significant rival. Beamish and Crawford remained an important regional producer. Its sales of porter reached approximately 116,000 barrels in 1861, a level not exceeded until 1901. The brewery was extensively modernized in 1865 at a reported cost of £100,000. In 1901 the company became publicly owned through the issue of share capital, and it expanded during the early twentieth century partly by acquiring local breweries. The ownership structure changed substantially after the Second World War. Carling-O’Keefe, part of Canadian Breweries, acquired Beamish and Crawford in 1962 and undertook modernization. Elders IXL bought Canadian Breweries in 1987, bringing the Cork brewery into its wider brewing group. In 1995, Elders sold the business to Scottish & Newcastle. Heineken International acquired Scottish & Newcastle in 2008, thereby taking control of Beamish and Crawford as well as other brewing assets. Heineken announced in December 2008 that the Beamish and Crawford brewery would close in March 2009. The decision ended brewing at the historic Cork site and resulted in approximately 120 job losses, although about forty Beamish employees transferred to Heineken’s nearby brewery. Beamish stout continued to be produced at that facility, which had previously been associated with Murphy’s. Beamish Red was discontinued after the takeover. The company’s separate identity as an operating brewery consequently ended, even though the Beamish brand remained in the Irish beer market. The former brewery buildings, including the Tudor-fronted counting house, remain in Cork’s medieval city centre near the South Gate. The premises have been associated with proposals for visitor and events use, preserving the site’s industrial and brewing heritage. Beamish and Crawford is now best understood as a historic brewery name and surviving beer brand rather than an independent corporate brewer.

1. 2009Historic Cork brewery closes

   Brewing ended at the Beamish and Crawford site and production moved to Heineken’s nearby Cork brewery.

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2. 2008Heineken takes ownership

   Heineken acquired Scottish & Newcastle and thereby took control of Beamish and Crawford.

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3. 1995Acquired by Scottish & Newcastle

   Scottish & Newcastle purchased the brewery from Elders IXL.

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4. 1987Ownership passes to Elders IXL

   Elders IXL acquired Canadian Breweries, including Carling-O’Keefe and Beamish and Crawford.

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5. 1962Acquired by Carling-O’Keefe

   The Canadian brewing company acquired Beamish and Crawford and began another modernization programme.

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6. 1901Company becomes public

   Beamish and Crawford issued share capital and became a public company.

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7. 1865Major brewery modernization

   The Cork brewery underwent a comprehensive modernization programme.

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8. 1833Guinness overtakes the brewery in Ireland

   Beamish and Crawford’s position as Ireland’s largest brewery ended when Guinness surpassed it.

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9. 1805Ireland’s largest brewery

   Annual output reached about 100,000 barrels, making the brewery the largest in Ireland.

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10. 1792Brewing and sales begin

    Brewing commenced in January and the first products were sold in June.

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11. 1791Cork Porter Brewery founded

    Beamish, Crawford, Barrett and O’Brien acquired an existing Cork brewery and established the business that became associated with Beamish and Crawford.

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A historic Cork brewing name centered on traditional Irish stout and porter, with strong regional heritage and a continuing association with the city of Cork.

• Beamish stoutStout

  Beamish stout was the brewery’s signature product and the brand most strongly associated with Beamish and Crawford. It represents the company’s Cork porter and stout heritage and continues to be brewed by Heineken at its nearby Cork facility after the original brewery closed.

• Beamish RedIrish red ale

  Beamish Red was a sweetish Irish red ale developed to compete with other well-known Irish red ales, including Murphy’s Irish Red and Kilkenny. Its production ended following the Heineken takeover of Beamish and Crawford.

• Foster’sLager

  Beamish and Crawford brewed or distributed Foster’s in Ireland under an international brand arrangement before the brewery’s closure. The brand remained with Heineken after production at the Beamish and Crawford site ended.

• Kronenbourg 1664Lager

  Kronenbourg 1664 was among the internationally known beer brands brewed or distributed by Beamish and Crawford for the Irish market.

• MillerLager

  Miller was handled by Beamish and Crawford through an Irish brewing or distribution arrangement. After the ownership transition and brewery closure, the brand was transferred to a different distribution arrangement and imported from SABMiller’s Netherlands brewery.

• 2008Heineken acquires Scottish & NewcastleM&A

  Beamish and Crawford had been owned by Scottish & Newcastle since 1995. Heineken’s takeover of that group brought the Cork brewery and Beamish brand into the Heineken portfolio.

  What changed. Heineken assumed ownership and subsequently integrated Beamish production into its nearby Cork brewing operation.

  Aftermath. The acquisition was followed by the planned closure of the historic Beamish and Crawford brewery and the continuation of Beamish stout under Heineken.

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• 2008Decision to close the historic breweryStrategy

  Heineken announced that the Beamish and Crawford brewery was to close in March 2009 as part of the post-acquisition production structure.

  What changed. Brewing was scheduled to move to Heineken’s nearby Cork facility, with approximately forty Beamish employees transferring and around 120 jobs lost.

  Aftermath. The original brewery stopped operating in 2009, while Beamish stout remained in production under Heineken. Beamish Red was discontinued.

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• 2009Beamish and Crawford production moves to Heineken’s Cork brewery

  The historic Beamish and Crawford brewery ceased operations, while Beamish stout continued to be brewed at the nearby Heineken-operated facility formerly associated with Murphy’s.

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• 2009Heineken ends Beamish distribution outside Ireland

  After Beamish products had been reintroduced to the United States market, Heineken discontinued distribution of Beamish products outside Ireland.

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• 2008Heineken announces closure of the Beamish and Crawford brewery

  Heineken announced that the Cork brewery would close in March 2009, with the loss of approximately 120 jobs. Production was to be transferred to Heineken’s nearby Cork facility.

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1. Beamish and Crawford