From a nine-thousand-year lease at a Dublin gate to a medieval abbey on the Nore — the founding records of the houses that shaped Ireland's most storied craft, gathered in one place.
In 1759 Arthur Guinness signed a now-legendary nine-thousand-year lease on a disused brewery at St. James's Gate, for forty-five pounds a year. From those four acres the house grew into one of the largest brewing operations on earth.
Read moreFounded on the grounds of a 13th-century Franciscan abbey beside the River Nore, the Kilkenny house traces its roots to 1710. For three centuries the medieval tower stood watch over the brewery yard.
Read moreJames J. Murphy and his brothers opened the Lady's Well Brewery in Cork in 1856, naming it for a revered holy well on the hillside above. It quickly became one of Cork's great employers.
Read moreEstablished in 1792 by William Beamish and William Crawford, the Cork house was for a time the largest in all of Ireland. Its mock-Tudor counting house remains a recognisable landmark.
Read moreIn 1960 the Guinness company opened a new chapter at the Great Northern Brewery in Dundalk. The venture took its name and emblem from the Irish harp, giving the northern town a brewing identity all its own.
Read moreThe modern heir to the tradition, Hilden was founded in 1981 in the cobbled courtyard of a Victorian estate near Lisburn — often called Ireland's oldest independent craft brewery.
Read moreThe St. Francis Abbey house takes root among medieval ruins on the River Nore.
Arthur Guinness signs at St. James's Gate, Dublin, for forty-five pounds a year.
Beamish & Crawford open the Cork Porter House — soon Ireland's largest.
The Murphy brothers establish their Cork brewery beside the holy well.
The Great Northern venture opens in Dundalk under the harp emblem.
Hilden opens near Lisburn — Ireland's oldest independent craft brewery.
No. This is an independent editorial archive. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any of the houses or brands mentioned, or with any visitor attraction.
Six historic Irish houses across Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork, Dundalk and Lisburn, spanning more than three centuries of founding history.
Several sites have their own visitor experiences run by their owners. Always check the official operator for opening times and access — this archive does not sell tickets.
Anyone with an interest in Irish history, industrial heritage and architecture.
Six houses, three centuries, one craft. Begin with the founding stories.
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