Carlow Brewing Company / O'Hara's Brewery

Carlow Brewing Company / O'Hara's Brewery

In its relatively short period of time, Carlow Brewing Company, a microbrewery founded in 1998, has quickly established itself as one of the leading small breweries in the World by achieving the highest accolade the Brewing Industry has to offer when O’Hara’s Stout won the Championship Trophy and a Gold Medal at the Brewing Industry International Awards in April 2000. These awards testify to the quality and truly international appeal of the Carlow Brewing Company products, which includes O’Hara’s Celtic Stout, Curim Gold Celtic wheat beer and Molings traditional red ale. Founded by the O’Hara brothers, the brewery has revived a tradition that was once synonymous with the Barrow valley, the traditional heartland of the brewing industry in Ireland. Malted barley and hops were farmed extensively here, supported by the many old malting and grain mills that are still prevalent in the landscape. Records show that by the early part of the 19th Century there were five breweries in operation in Carlow. The last of these closed at the end of the 19th Century. With a dedication to quality reminiscent of the by gone brewers, the Carlow Brewing Co. has gone from strength to strength and now exports beers to a number of countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, Scandinavia and Continental Europe. The Brewery is housed in The Goods Store, a superb old stone building which in days gone by was the scene of the unloading of provisions for the towns traders.