The famous Guinness brewery was first established in Dublin in 1759 by Arthur Guinness. Arthur’s father, Richard, was steward and land agent to the Rev Arthur Price, who became the Archbishop of Cashel, in Co. Tipperary. Arthur Guinness assisted his father and produced ale for the household of the archbishop. When Price passed away, he left Arthur a legacy of €100, a substantial sum in those days. With this capital, Arthur set up his first brewery in Leixlip, Co, Kildare in 1756 and made a great success of this venture.
Three years later, a sizeable, disused brewery at James’s Gate in Dublin, owned by the Rainsford family, came onto the market and Arthur snapped it up without hesitation. Continuing as an ale producer for some years, from 1778 Guinness gradually turned to manufacturing the stronger porter, the dark, ruby-red drink with the cream head, so familiar today. The brewery dropped the production of ale altogether in 1799. The rest is history!
