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The FT has it[/url:1rn9f2xe] that Diageo are considering shutting down St. James' Gate, a site they reckon to be worth between €600 and €700 million. It would certainly change the landscape of Dublin, even if it has no effect on the beer available.

That amount of land for development will have an effect on property prices as well as the shape of Dublin.

If it's developed properly (unlikely in Ireland, I know, but hope springs eternal) it could breath life into a pretty dead part of the city.

I know a one of the people that were involved in the closure of there London brewery, I think this has been at the back of their mind for some time. But I think Dublin was kept as the marketing/goodwill it generated towards the product, I am general not a fan of Diageo and will vote with my pocket if it goes went adead.

But if the modle is base on the Ballsbridge site, it could be flawed as they did not recive planning permission they wanted pushing the build cost of the apartments to around 400,000, thats not the sale cost!

Strange the FT did not say the Ballsbridge site did not get the planning permision they wanted.

I think it would be a disaster for Guinness (the identity and product) if they were to do that - James Gate is a landmark, an icon, a familiar constant in a changing city. Also it's been brewed on the same site for 200+ years. I would not at all be surprised if, IF they move production to a different location in dublin that hardened Guinness drinkers fell out of love with the product because of a (rightly or wrongly) perceived difference in taste of the beer due to 'it being better when it was brewed on the liffey'. I would probably regard myself as a Guinness drinker, although I was not enamored by the sale to Diageo, and if the James Gate site were to be sold I would be even less likely to drink it.
Sure while they're at it, why not sell the GPO and TCD and turn them into apartments also. I'd love to live in one of my old lecture theatres <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->

&amp;quot;kenmc&amp;quot;:t5epke05 wrote: I would not at all be surprised if, IF they move production to a different location in dublin that hardened Guinness drinkers fell out of love with the product[/quote:t5epke05]
It doesn't seem to have done Jameson any harm. And if, as the article suggests, they move operations to Balbriggan, they'd still get away with "Brewed in Dublin" in the marketing.

I doubt that they will loose many customers at all.

Guinness drinkers may cry into their pints about the closure of St James' Gate and may say beer just isn't the same from the new place, but they will still drink it.

What else are they going to drink? Beamish? Murphy's? No, they'll take what they are given, just like they did when it went from cask to keg with nitro.

As to the foreign trade, as long as it's brewed in Ireland and they keep their existing tourist trap in the area, no one will care.

[quote:3a08f56k]Sure while they're at it, why not sell the GPO and TCD and turn them into apartments also. I'd love to live in one of my old lecture theatres <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->[/quote:3a08f56k]

That's a different issue. When it comes down to it, a brewery is nothing but a factory.

If you want to go into Trinity College or the GPO, you can do so. Try having a look around St James' Gate; see how far you get.

The Guinness brewery is a huge area of land that is effectively a barrier to people. A huge, high walled block of nothing, that you have to walk around. Imagine all of that quayside area opened up, with flats and businesses, so you could walk through it.

Nostalgia may tell you it's a bad thing, but I think it will be a good thing for the city.