At River Shannon Brewery we want to continue an age-old tradition in an area steeped in Beer Production History. Beer Production in Ireland can be dated back to the Bronze Age where a beverage called Beoir or more commonly known as Gruit was produced. Gruit was brewed using Barley, Bog Myrtle and Meadowsweet. Archaeologists have found remnants of Breweries along the River Shannon dating this far back with sites in Galway excavated of old breweries that produced an ancient beer that when replicated by historians has been described as ‘Drinkable and worthy of our ancestor’s efforts’ since this time production changed dramatically. This tradition has been ever existent since the Bronze Age and it is something we at River Shannon Brewery are proud to continue.
Production of Beer along the Shannon has always been very popular. The Shannon provided waterways for access to other towns and cities. The Shannon also provided a rich source of water to provide the distinct flavours breweries along the River Shannon have. We can see from records that in the 1830s and 1850s there was one brewery or more in Portumna, Banagher, Birr, Killeigh, Tullamore and Athlone. With just breweries in Athlone and Tullamore now we feel it is crucial that smaller towns maintain this tradition, using local produce and hiring local expertise.
To show our passion and commitment to the history of beer brewing on the River Shannon we designed a symbol using the Celtic knot. The Celtic Knot has no end to it and for that reason it symbolises eternity. We want Beer Brewing to be a mainstay on the Shannon and we hope others follow suit in brewing with the amazing local produce along the river. Our symbol contains not one but three Celtic Knots and for us this represents the provinces that border Offaly as we believe it is not only our duty to maintain this tradition but the duty of all!
