Diageo has confirmed plans to develop a new Guinness brewery at its Littleconnell site in Newbridge, Co Kildare, over the next three years, with construction due to begin this year. The 400 million euro outlay will fund what the company is calling “Brewery 2”, a facility dedicated to brewing Guinness and Guinness 0.0 to meet surging global demand.
Planning permission has already been secured for the project, which will double the total capacity of the Littleconnell site once completed. The investment builds on an existing 300 million euro spend on a state-of-the-art brewery for lagers and ales at the same location.
The first Littleconnell brewery, which has just been officially opened by the Taoiseach and Diageo’s chief executive, was delivered in under 18 months. Diageo says the plant is powered by 100% renewable electricity and supports 50 highly skilled permanent jobs.
The brewery will produce a range of beers including Rockshore, Harp and Smithwick’s, as well as licensed brands such as Carlsberg for domestic and export markets. Taoiseach Micheál Martin hailed the development as “a powerful vote of confidence in Ireland and in our future as a world‑leading, sustainable food and drink exporter”.
Diageo said the additional Kildare brewery, when combined with ongoing works at its historic St James’s Gate site in Dublin and at its Belfast packaging facility, will bring its total investment across the island of Ireland to nearly 1 billion euro between 2020 and 2029.
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The group is positioning the new facilities as part of a wider push towards low‑carbon brewing and more efficient production across its network.
Mr Martin said “By choosing to invest at this scale in Ireland and to lead the way in next‑generation, low‑carbon brewing, Diageo is supporting skilled jobs, regional development and export growth, while helping Ireland advance its climate ambitions through innovation.”
Diageo chief executive Sir Dave Lewis said demand for Guinness and Guinness 0.0 is “surging” and described it as fitting that the new facility is being developed in County Kildare, the birthplace of Arthur Guinness.
