472 THE BREWING INDUSTRY IN IRELAND. 



The value of the concern has enormously increased from the six millions at 

 which it was valued in 1886. To-day it is valued by the pubhc according 

 to the current market prices at nearly twenty millions of money, and had 

 the profits grown with the trade it is hard to estimate what this figure would 

 have been. In the year ended 30th June, 1888, the Excise Duty paid was 

 ;^45 7,080, and the net profits were ^^790,930, i.e., the net profits were almost 

 75 per cent, more than the duty paid. In the year ended 30th June, 1901, 

 the Excise Duty paid was ;^864,i23, and the net profits were ^^850,61 3, 

 I.e., actually less than the Excise Duty, notwithstanding the fact that in this 

 profit is included the interest derivable from over a million of money held in 

 reserve. Thus, whilst the amount paid in duty increased 89 per cent, in 

 thirteen years, the increase in net profits during the same time has been 

 under 10 per cent. If, as seems most probable, the increased taxation which 

 the Chancellor of the Exchequer has put upon the brewmg trade is the 

 cause of this diminution in profits, it is evident how hard the smaller 

 breweries must be hit by the increase m the beer duty. 



As has been already mentioned, the firm use Irish barley as far as possible, 

 and about 60 per cent, of the malt used is made from home-grown 

 grain, but a sufficient supply of Irish barley cannot be obtained, and conse- 

 quently a considerable quantity has to be bought in Great Britain, and a 

 small amount is imported from foreign countries. Like most brewers the 

 Company make a large part of the malt they use, and the remainder of the 

 malt required is made by various firms throughout the country on com- 

 mission, or is bought in the Irish, Scotch and English markets. The hops 

 used are obtained from Kent and America. 



The Grand Canal supplies most of the water used for brewing. This water 

 is of a moderate degree of hardness and is taken fjom filter beds at the fifth 

 lock. The Vartry water, which forms the main supply for Dublin is used 

 chiefly for boilers and other purposes where a soft water is found useful. 

 The enormous amount of water used is shown by the fact that, irrespective 

 of the produce of two wells situate within the premises, the Company pay 

 over i^4,000 per annum though the rates are as low as 2^<^. and 4^. per 

 1,000 gallons. 



In i860 the premises occupied by the brewery covered about four 

 acres, but in proportion as its trade increased, the firm gradually acquired 

 tlie ground adjacent to it, in order to carry out the extensions required. 

 The buildings are composed of two principal parts, the old brewery and 

 the new brewery, which was built in 1879 and subsequently extended to 

 meet the growing demand for accommodation, and the premises to-day 

 occupy more than forty acres, and are constantly being still further 

 e.xtended. 



The premises are situated on three different levels. The first or upper level 

 is about sixty feet above the river quay, and comprises the two breweries, the 

 fermenting rooms, the vat houses, the stables, and the malt and hop stores. 

 The second or middle level contains the maltings, the grain stores, a vat 

 house, and other buildings ; while the third or lower level on the Victoria 

 Quay consists of the carpentry, the cooperage shops, the cask washing 

 sheds, the racking and filling stores, as well as the platforms on which the 

 goods are loaded, according to their destination, on dray, boat, or railway. 



The firm owns 160 drays and floats, 153 horses, 9 steamers, and 5 motor 

 trucks, and more than 120 drays of stout leave the establishment daily, 

 whilst the principal railways in Ireland have connecting lines to the brewery. 



