Kilkenny and the oldest brewery in Ireland

The St. Francis Abbey Brewery occupies over 25 acres in the heart of Kilkenny City and is the oldest brewery in Ireland. The brewery has been part of local life for over 290 years and it is here that Smithwick’s Ale was first brewed in 1710.

In the mid 1800s, driven by the ambition and skill of Edmund Smithwick, the brewery expanded as Smithwick’s ale became more popular nationwide. The brewery began exporting eight different types of beer. By the 1920s Smithwick’s had become Ireland’s most popular ale, a position it still holds.

The St. Francis Abbey Brewery continues to brew Smithwick’s to this day. It also produces Budweiser for the Irish market. Kilkenny has a proud brewing history, dating from as early as the 14th century, when monks in St. Francis Abbey began brewing at this location.