480 THE BREWING INDUSTRY IN IRELAND. 



brewery owned by Messrs. Cairnes and Sons, Drogheda, and the combined 

 business was turned into a public company, with a capital of ;^265,000. 

 Thackeray was amongst the visitors to Castlebellingham, and very pleasant 

 allusions are made in his " Irish Sketch Book " to the merits of the Belling- 

 ham ale. Charles Lever also in his last work, " Lord Kilgobbin," speaks 

 favourably of the Castlebellingham brew — 



"It's downright good. Let us have some more of it." And he shouted 

 *' Master " at the top of his voice. " More of this," said Lockwood, touching" 

 the measure. " Beer or ale, which is it? " " Castlebelling-ham, sir," replied 

 the landlord ; " Beats all the Bass and Allsopp that ever was brewed." 



" You think so, eh ? " 



" I'm sure of it, sir. The club that sits here had a debate on it one night, 

 and put it to the vote, and there wasn't one man for the English liquor." 



Since Lever's time the business has increased very considerably, which 

 has necessitated extensive additions to the plant, premises, malthouses and 

 stores. A notable feature of the business, in addition to the ordinary 

 wholesale and export trade, is the business done with the army, and a book 

 of testimonials of goodly size bears witness to the excellence of the beer 

 supphed, not only to home stations, but also abroad in the Mediterranean, 

 Hong-Kong, Egypt, etc. The brewery and malthouses employ a large 

 staff of labourers and mechanics, such as coopers, carpenters, plumbers, 

 masons, harness makers, etc. ; the principle observed being to carry on the 

 industry with home labour for the benefit of the families in the vicinity. 

 In buying materials also the Company follow the principle of encouraging 

 home industries, and are very extensive purchasers of the barley, hay, and 

 oats grown by the farmers in the district, Louth barley being held in high 

 estimation by maltsters and brewers. 



Tradition says that the site of the Dundalk Brewery, known as Cambric- 



ville, was originally a cambric factory established by 



The Dundalk the Huguenots. Be this as it may, it is well known 



Brewery. that brewing was carried on here in the end of the 



eighteenth century, with varying fortunes, until the 

 time of Father Mathew's crusade, when the Cambricville Brewery 

 was closed like many similar establishments. But another brewery 

 in Dublin-street, Dundalk, weathered the storm, and in the fifties 

 was run by Messrs. John and Arthur Duffy and Mr. Edward 

 Henry Macardle, J.P., under the style of Messrs. Duffy and Macardle. 

 About 1859 Mr- Arthur Duffy sold his interest to the remaining partners, 

 and soon after Mr. John Duffy's death his widow disposed of her 

 share to Mr. Macardle, who in 1863 formed a partnership with the late 

 Mr. Andrew Thomas Moore, J. P., of Ashton, Phoenix Park, Dublin New 

 capital and more energy being now introduced, the business increased, and in 

 view of the rapidly increasing trade, additional premises had to be acquired, 

 and Messrs. Macardle, Moore and Co. purchased the premises at Cam- 

 bricville from the late Mr. James D. McAlister. The concern was converted 

 into a private Limited Liability Company in 1894, under the name of 

 Macardle, Moore, and Co., all the shares being retained by members of the 

 two families, and Mrs. M. Macardle, who is the " Chairman," is said to be the 

 only lady in the United Kingdom that occupies such a position. The other 

 Directors are Messrs. T. Callan Macardle, J.P., J. St. P. Macardle, M. J. 

 Macardle, and T. Levins Moore, B.L., and the head brewer is Mr. J. P. 

 Kieran. 



