Carlow Brewing Company

Carlow Brewing Company
O'Hara's Brewery
TypePrivate
IndustryDrinks industry
Founded1996
Founder
  • Seamus O'Hara
  • Éamonn O'Hara
Headquarters
Bagnelstown, Carlow
,
Ireland
Area served
Western Europe
Key peopleSéamus O'Hara
(CEO)
ProductsAlcoholic beverages
Brands
  • O'Hara's
  • Craigies Cider
  • Falling Apple
Number of employees
50 (2020)
Websitecarlowbrewing.com

The Carlow Brewing Company, better known as O'Hara's Brewery, is an Irish craft brewery located in Bagenalstown, County Carlow. It is the largest craft brewery in Ireland by production capacity.[1][2]

History

The Carlow Brewing Company was founded in 1996 by brothers Eamonn and Seamus O’Hara.[3][4][5] Due to the dominance of macro beers in Ireland at the time, the brewery was initially very export-oriented.[4] In the last few years, Irish interest in the brewery, and craft beer in general, has increased.[6]

In 2017, the company acquired Craigies Cider.[7] In April of the same year it was announced that, Hijos de Rivera, a Spanish brewery, had purchased a 32% stake in the Carlow Brewing Company.[8][9]

In 2020, the company purchased a number of brands from Boyne Brewhouse, a brewery in Drogheda.[10]

Products

The company produces a wide range of beverages at its brewery in Bagnelstown,[11] mainly under the O’Hara’s brand. Its core product line consists of both traditional Irish and international beer styles, including stouts, red ales, pale ales, India pale ales, lagers, and wheat beers.

Notable examples include:

  • O’Hara’s Irish Stout, dry stout: 4.3% alcohol by volume (ABV).
  • O'Hara's Irish Red, red ale: 4.3% ABV.
  • O'Hara's Curim Gold, wheat beer: 4.3% ABV.
  • O’Hara’s Irish Pale Ale, pale ale: 5.2% ABV.
  • O'Hara's Leann Folláin, Irish stout: 6% ABV.

In addition to the O’Hara's brand, the company produces Craigies Cider and Falling Apple craft ciders,[3] Glassbox Spirits,[10] as well as several store-brand products for both Marks & Spencer and Aldi.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Sport, KCLR96FM News & (20 April 2015). "Carlow brewery is now the biggest craft brewer in Ireland". KCLR 96FM. Archived from the original on 23 November 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ McLoughlin, Gavin (9 August 2015). "Largest craft brewer plans new brewhouse". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 15 August 2025. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  3. 1 2 Taylor, Charlie (8 February 2017). "Snap apple: Carlow Brewery Company buys Craigies Cider". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 13 September 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  4. 1 2 2010, Lonely Planet: Ireland, p. 68.
  5. ↑ "Rising in the yeast". The Irish Times. 26 March 2011. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  6. ↑ Merrill, Jessica (18 June 2006). "Microbreweries in the Land of Guinness". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  7. ↑ Taylor, Charlie (8 February 2017). "Snap apple: Carlow Brewery Company buys Craigies Cider". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 13 September 2025. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  8. ↑ "Carlow Brewing Company Announces Investment by Spanish Family-owned Hijos de Rivera". O'Hara's | Carlow Brewing Company. 21 April 2017. Archived from the original on 20 December 2025. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  9. ↑ Taylor, Charlie (20 April 2017). "Spanish beer company takes 32% stake in O'Hara's parent". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 25 April 2025. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  10. 1 2 "O'Hara's beer owner acquires brands from Boyne Brewhouse". Irish Independent. 11 August 2020. Archived from the original on 30 November 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  11. ↑ "The world's best beers – brewed in Bagenalstown". Irish Independent. 15 June 2010. Archived from the original on 3 April 2026. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  12. ↑ McGreevy, Ronan (14 April 2015). "Seamus O'Hara optimistic about Irish craft beer industry's future". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 26 August 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2026. The company also produces the O'Shea's range for Aldi and a stout for Marks & Spencer.
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