The Irish Gifts & Jewelry Blog

So many of our Irish gifts are inspired by Guinness®. Many of you probably know what Guinness® is, but did you know the long history behind the company? I find this subject fascinating, so I’ll probably write more about it when I have a little more time.

The year 1759 is remembered as the year when Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease for an old disused brewery at St. James’s Gate, Dublin. For an initial cost of about $140 and an annual rent of $60, Arthur received a copper, a mill, a kieve, two malt houses, sufficient stabling for 12 horses, and a loft capable of holding 200 tons of hay.

Only seven years earlier, aged 23, Arthur had received his only inheritance of approximately $140. In 1769, Guinness® sent its first export shipment of six-and-a-half barrels of beer to England. In 1775, in a dispute with the Dublin Corporation, a committee was sent to cut off the water course that provided the brewery with fresh water. Arthur grabbed a pick axe from one of the crew and defended his right to access the water. The crew backed off, but it took another nine years for the dispute to be legally settled.

Over the years, Guinness® grew, both in popularity, and in size. In 1906, for example, almost one in 30 Dubliners depended on the Guinness® factory for their livelihood. Employees of Guinness enjoyed many perks almost unheard of in those days – high wages, vacations, medical care, housing, etc. Today, Guinness® is a world-renowned beer whose consumption exceeds 2 billion pints annually. It is not just a beer, it is a legacy.