A list of current breweries in the UK, found on the www is also on the CD-ROM -
this might assist in tracing unlocated tokens.

Northern Ireland claims the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world (but sadly no known Irish tokens from this distillery - but see the USA medal!)

Each bottle of Bushmills proudly states that it is from the World's Oldest Whiskey Distillery licensed in 1608 but this is not strictly true. In 1608 a licence was granted to Sir Thomas Phillipps

"for the next seaven yeres, within the countie of Colrane, otherwise called O Cahanes countrey, or within the territorie called Rowte, in Co. Antrim, by himselfe or his servauntes, to make, drawe, and distil such and soe great quantities of aquavite, usquabagh and aqua composita, as he or his assignes shall thinke fitt; and the same to sell, vent, and dispose of to any persons, yeeldinge yerelie the somme 13s 4d..."

This therefore covered the area of Bushmills but the Bushmills Old Distillery Company was not established until 1784 by Hugh Anderson. Also in 1608 licences were granted to cover the areas which now host Cooley`s and Midleton distilleries so they could similarly lay claim to the oldest distillery title but again the distilleries were not built until many years afterwards. The early years for Bushmills were unsuccessful with numerous periods of closure. Official records of operating distilleries in both 1802 and 1822 fail to list Bushmills. By 1860 Bushmills was bought by a Belfast spirit merchant Jame McColgan and Patrick Corrigan and eventually became a limited company in 1880.

A web site which is still under construction http://www.potstill.com
lists early distilleries and promises to add their history.
It contains some modern photographs of the old buildings.

The above table is far from complete!

 
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The Brusna Distillery - Fallon Brett & Co

*--		FB & Co 1L (Fallon Brett 1 load) a Kilbeggan distillery tally crudely c/s on copper rectangles and triangle - all different!
Ad--		do. c/s on Cu, Brass & Pewter: sq, round & triang 20-50mm
--		F | COALS | B on upright rectangle with cut corners 47x35 mm Cu
		Illustrated and tentatively attributed to Fallon Brett in TCSB Vol. 10 #7 June 2012 p.252 by Gerry Buddle
Distillery from c.1750-1953. Now Locke's Distillery Museum. Tokens used sometime between 1824-1831. Possibly bought & exchanged for spent grain, in a similar fashion to those issued by Stein Brown (see below). The NSI Bulletin No. 28 has published a listing of these. This suggests the the number of times "IL" has been stamped on the token represents the number of loads the token is worth. I doubt this - it would be simpler to just give one token per load - presumably a cartload. The paper split the various types up as follows; NSI Bulletin No. 28 Group A as illustrated above ie "IL" and "FB&Co" struck from 2 dies although one piece only has "FB&Co" Group B struck with only the "IL" - between 1 and 4 times - 1-4 loads? Possibly after the breakup (1831) of the Fallon and Brett partnership? Group C "IL" 1, 2 or 4 times on the back of what is believed to have been a brass thermometer scale (c1875) from Yeates & Son Dublin Group D "IL" (formed by 3 strikes of a single line) 1 to 5 times   In the late 1980/early 90s, the dealer C.J.Denton advertised a group of ten tokens in copper, brass, pewter which were square, round & triangular & stamped IL (one load?) and FB&C (Fallon Brett & Co.). The sizes ranged from 20 to 50mm. He stated they were a Kilbeggan distillery's tally token. Some years later, S Byrne had a large number of similar tokens, some of which were crudely made from a brass ruler (?) (later identified in the NSI bulletin). I bought three and the remainder were later listed in Whytes auction catalogue. In 1994 I passed through Kilbeggan & chanced upon Locke's Distillery Museum and was pleasantly surprised to see similarly marked tokens on display. Others were of better quality and perhaps a later issue.   My letter to Locke's Museum for information on the pieces was kindly answered by Amanda Pedlow, Tourist Manager at Locke's, with rubbings of the 10 tokens in their collection. The letter was accompanied by a four page photocopied extract (pp 24-27) of the book "Locke's Distillery - A History" written by Andrew Bielenberg and published by The Lilliput Press (Dub 1993). This showed how the number of distilleries jumped in the 1820s and 30's as a result of the duty being reduced from 5 shillings and 7 1/2d to 2 shillings and 4 3/4d (presumably per gallon) to try and combat the illegal poteen; Number of existing distilleries 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 - 32 - - - - - 82 81 80 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 79 81 84 82 89 93 90 90 87 89 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 86 75 70 64 - - - - - - The quantity produced from all distilleries rose from 3,627,332 in 1821 to a peak of 11,894,169 gallons of proof spirit in 1835. It had reduced to 5,550,706 by 1843. The extract went on to describe how George Codd's Brusna Distillery was revived and after his death in 1823, the building was let to John Fallon, a Tullamore tobacconist with financial help from his brother Charles (Fallon) from Mullingar. After using the building for brewing, it was once again used for distilling and in February 1824, he joined with Patrick Brett of Clara, and Henry Gower of Dublin. Each invested £500 and the company started trading as 'John Fallon, Patrick Brett and Co.' During the 1825-6 season, FB&Co produced 29,554 gallons and its reputation grew. The partnership was dissolved in 1831 due to Fallon's financial difficulties, but the distillery continued with Brett and others.    Note: Lewis (see Westport below) notes that by 1837, the reduction in duty mentioned above caused at least one brewery to have a slump in sales! From 1868 Mary Anne Locke ran the distillery, after her husband John died, up to c.1880. She increased output by investing in improvements and expansion. Her two sons, John Edward and James Harvey became increasingly involved in the distillery and took over the running in the 1880s (and are mentioned in the Barnard account below). A second period of female rule for Locke's began after James Harvey's death in 1927. Mary, the wife of John Edward (who died in 1920) became director, although her involvement with the distillery was minimal. When she died in 1943, her two daughters, Mary Evelyn and Florence Emily, took on a more active role in the board of directors, with Mary taking the chair and Florence playing a more minor role. Neither of them was much involved in the daily running of the distillery. In 1947 the sisters decided to sell the distillery. The syndicate they sold the distillery turned out to be criminals under false passports who had no intentions of running the distillery but were interested in the large amounts of Locke's maturing stocks. The whole thing snowballed into 'The Locke's Scandal' which eventually even played a role in the fall of the government. The scandal, bad management, under-investment and economic circumstances all contributed to distilling to cease at Locke's in 1953.   The following was found on the www. FACTS ABOUT LOCKE'S DISTILLERY MUSEUM National Winner - AIB Better Ireland Awards 1997. We are proud to be the national winners of the 1997 AIB Better Ireland Awards in the heritage section. This reflects the work done by the community of Kilbeggan over the past 15 years in restoring and presenting the museum. Locke's Distillery is the only small pot still whiskey distillery remaining in Ireland, the only examples of what used to be a widespread Irish industry. Locke's Distillery was licensed in 1757 and produced whiskey for over 200 years, closing in 1953. In 1982 the local community began restoring the distillery and have re-opened it as a museum. The museum is open seven days a week and there is a choice of a guided or self-guided tour. The guided tour takes about 40 minutes and shows the ancient process of whiskey making, from the mill stones, to the mash tuns, underbacks, fermentation vats, can pit stills to the casking of the final product. The two sources of power, the steam engine and the water wheel are always of great interest. The tour is complemented by the tales and stories gathered from the workers from the distillery. Over 85% of the original distillery machinery remains intact and restoration work is ongoing. In July 1997, the machinery turned again for the first time since closure. The drive shaft, pulleys and pumps are all working on a daily basis. An exhibition in the front grain loft was opened by Her Excellency, Mary McAleese, President of Ireland on June 17th 1998. It presents a large part of the collection of distillery artefacts. This new addition greatly enhances the visits. The museum is complemented by the Locke's Pantry Coffee Shop which serves both individuals and group business. The menu specialises in home baked fresh foods. Kilbeggan is a traditional North-South, East-West crossroads, making it a perfect stop-over for your journey. The guided tour and snack/meal in the Pantry is the ideal break. The following details are from the book Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom, by Alfred Barnard, published by Harper's Weekly Gazette in 1887. more on this distillery   BRUSNA DISTILLERY, Kilbeggan Proprietors, John Locke & Co. The Brusna Distillery is said to be the oldest in Ireland, having been founded in the year 1750. It covers nearly five acres of ground, and the adjoining lands extending for half-a-mile on the river side, are also owned by John Edward and James H. Locke. Both these young men are practical distillers, and it is owing to their enterprise that the business has increased and the output been more than doubled during the last ten years. To do this they have, from time to time, made considerable additions to the old work - adding new machinery and modern appliances, still retaining, where practicable, the ancient ones, so as not to interfere with their old-fashioned Pot Stills, Mashing Vessels, and method of drying malt. The establishment, which is entirely enclosed, has a frontage to the main road of 150 feet, and entered by an archway, the clerks' and Excise offices being built therein. It stands on the banks of the river from which it derives its name, and the water for both driving and mashing comes from that stream. There is such an abundant and continuous supply, that at the time of our visit Messrs. Locke & Co. were arranging to use it for an electric light power in the premises. Having plenty of time, we first rambled through the old place with the partners, and afterwards commenced our duties by inspecting the Maltings, which are all built opposite the Distillery proper. They are light and well-ventilated buildings of five floors, capable of holding 10,000 barrels of corn. When we were there the yard at the back was crowded with farmers' carts, laden with barley put up in home-made flax sacks of a primitive shape and nearly 6 feet in length. After inspection by the corn-buyer, the barley is hoisted to the different floors and there spread out to a depth of 3 feet, from whence, as required, it is made to fall through traps on to the Malting Floors below, each of which possesses a stone Steep. The firm make all their own malt, being of opinion that they can manufacture a finer quality than can be purchased. Seventy men are employed on the premises, the aged and infirm always being pensioned off or assisted. The make is "Old Pot Still," and principally sold in Dublin, England, and the Colonies. It is both a self and a blending Whisky, and the annual output (1885-1886) was 157,200 gallons. The plant is, however, capable of making over 200,000 gallons. Messrs. Reidy and Byrne are the chief Excise officers.

 
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Stein Brown & Co (Limerick)

*DW54		STEIN BROWN & Co = ONE | TUB wreath below
		a castle [Mac773, IN59, IN63]
*DW53		as previous = TWO | TUBs
		a castle [Mac772]
*DW52		as previous = ONE | TUB
		a still
*DW51		as previous = TWO | TUB
		a still
Stein Brown & Co operated the Thomond Gate Distillery, Limerick (source Pigot's Directory 1824 - Dixon in IN63). Four tokens were listed by Davis & Waters, where the following (quoting Bazaar 29 Aug 1881) was given; These tokens were given by the above company [Stein Brown] to any person buying grains at their distillery in Limerick, and when his or her cart came for grains the token was handed to the man in charge of the grainyard. The Stein Brown tokens are similar to the tokens from MacDonnell. I know nothing about the latter. I think the castle (gateway) is the Limerick arms. I haven't been able to find much on this distillery on the www, but an index to the NORTH MUNSTER ARCHAEOLOGICAL JOURNAL, NMAJ volume XXXV (1993-4), lists an article by Paul Duffy;- Turf steam and the Stein Brown distillery chimney, 107-108. It gets a mention in Samuel Lewis's A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland under Limerick City and County as follows; [Killely, or Killeely] ... Partly within the north liberties of the city of Limerick, but chiefly in the barony of Bunratty, county of Clare, 3 miles (N.W.) from Limerick, on the mail road to Ennis, and on the River Shannon; containing 5141 inhabitants. This parish, which is also called Meelick, comprises 5135 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, which are equally divided between tillage and pasture. It extends nearly to the Thomond bridge, at Limerick, and includes the extensive distillery of Messrs. Brown, Stein, and Co. ... ... [Castle-Connel or Stradbally] The bulk of the inhabitants are agriculturists, or dependent on the visitors to the spa; but many obtain employment in cutting turf and conveying it to Limerick, particularly for its large distillery... ... [Limerick City] The distillery of Stein, Browne and Co., at Thomond-gate, produces 455,000 gallons of whiskey annually. There are also seven breweries, each of which brews porter, ale, and beer to a total amount of 5000 barrels annually; the consumption both of these and of the distillery is chiefly confined to the neighbourhood... I assume Browne (sic) is an error.

 
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MacDonnell & Co (Limerick?)

*P771		MAC.DONNELL & Co = ONE | TUB wreath below
		a castle
*P770		as previous = TWO | TUBs
		a castle
(same design as previous pieces) (The first piece was sold to me (by mail) as "counterstamped with a bottle(?)" - it just looks like a dig to me!) MacDonnell & Co might not be in Co. Limerick, but they do feature the Limerick arms.

 
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O'Keeffe's Distillery Cork

*Mac836		O'KEEFFE'S DISTILLERY | .CORK. = a circle
		GRAINS | . ONE PENNY . = a circle containing 2 holes 18.5mm br
(sketch from photo in IN87)
Mac837		O'KEEFFE'S | DISTILLERY | CORK
		.WASH. | ONE | HALFPENNY 1st & last curved 18mm br
*Mac835		O'KEEFES DISTILLERY | .CORK. = a circle
		ONE QUARTER | + GRAINS + = a circle 21mm br central hole
Note alternative spelling & without apostrophe (I think). I have the 'one quarter grains' and the 'grains one penny'. The associated 'wash one halfpenny' token, alas not in my collection, was illustrated in IN87. Note the different spelling of the name - O'Keeffes and O'Keefes! Drury listed some unofficial farthings from Killarney, D106-110, issued by another O'Keeffe and on the tokens this was shown as O'Keeffe, O'Kieffe and O'Keefe. The spelling of this name obviously causes problems. LEWIS'S TOPOGPAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF THE PARISHES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES OF CORK CITY AND COUNTY records the following;- The site of the Dominican friary, called the Abbey of St. Mary of the Island, is now occupied by Mr. O'Keefe's distillery (was located at Crosses Green).

 
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Monasterevan Distillery - John Cassidy Turf Token

*Mac748		MONASTEREVAN | DISTILLERY both lines curved in a wreath
		JOHN | CASSIDY | TURF | TOKEN in a wreath 30mm Cu
(built 1784)...(Cassidy ...1885...)...1921 Only one type known although this is sometimes stamped with a number. I vaguely remember reading that this was given to people bringing cart loads of turf to the distillery, which were obviously needed to germinate and roast the grain and to distill the fermented liquor. They were presumably exchanged later for either cash or spent grain - which would have been fed to cattle or pigs. A web site JCKAS links to www.xs4all.nl/~tbreen/Journals/kildare ix 1918-1921.html which appears to be a list of papers in JCKAS Vol. XIV No. 4 (1969) (Journal of County Kildare Archæological Society?) and lists the following;- John Holmes: Monasterevan Distillery, a brief outline of its history and background, pp.480-487 So there is another record of this distillery somewhere. Does it mention tokens? The running of Monasterevan was taken over in 1918 by Gwendella Cassidy after the death of her husband Robert (probably James's son). Unfortunately, she wasn't too successful, as the business went into liquidation in 1921. The following details are from the book Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom, by Alfred Barnard, published by Harper's Weekly Gazette in 1887 more on this distillery is on the CD-ROM. MONASTEREVAN DISTILLERY Proprietor, James Cassidy. The Distillery, which is its most striking feature, covers ten acres of ground, and has a frontage to the main road of 293 feet. We entered by a picturesque ivy-covered stone archway, and found ourselves inside an oblong quadrangle, with several innercourts issuing therefrom. After making ourselves known to Mr. Cassidy, we proceeded to his private office to obtain the necessary information as to the foundation of the works, and found by investigation, that the Distillery was built by the grandfather of the present proprietor in the year 1784, and a few years after was partly burnt down and rebuilt again, since which time many additions have been made. The old buildings are very picturesque, and the newer ones have been erected in a style to harmonise with the earlier portions of the works. The water used for brewing purposes comes from the celebrated "White Springs" of Borradera, famed for its purity and sparkling appearance. A tributary of the Barrow which runs through the grounds has been diverted into a natural pond behind the Maltings, and in its bed are laid the cooling pipes. Under the guidance of Mr. Cassidy, we commenced our tour of the establishment at the corn buyers' office, which is approached from the high road and adjoins the Distillery offices. It is a stone-paved apartment, where the barley is sampled and, if purchased from the farmer, is parcelled, numbered, and the price and quantity registered in a book. The road which extends along the front of, and runs through the works, is called "Dublin Street," and twice a week in the season it is thronged with farmers and others, and, when we were there, presented quite the animated appearance of "Mark Lane" on a small scale, the roadway from end to end being strewn with corn. The stray fowls and ducks come over here from the village, and have a high time of it after the market is over. When the corn is delivered to the receiving Warehouse, the checking clerk compares it with the sample, sees every sack weighed, and makes out the credit note for the farmer, who exchanges same for cash in the Distillery office. From the scales the sacks are emptied into the wells of the Elevators, and then lifted to the Corn Stores.

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J D'Arcy & Son Anchor Brewery

Rubbing courtesy A. Cunningham
--		J. D'ARCY & SON |.ANCHOR BREWERY.= BREWERY | ___ | SIX | PINTS
		blank 36mm Cu
*--		do. = STABLES | ___ | ONE | PINT
		blank 36mm Cu (Mine has IV crudely chiselled on the reverse.)
Rubbing courtesy A. Cunningham
--		do. = ONE | PINT (no STABLES)
Once Dublin's second largest brewery. They issued at least three 'beer allowance' tokens. They were at Usher St. Dublin as John D'Arcy & Son to 1896, & then John D'Arcy & Son Ltd to 1926. Some Burton brewers (eg Bass) also issued 'stable dept' brewery tokens. A "History of Dublin Breweries" can be found on the www and includes the following; By the end of the eighteen century the oldest establishment in the city was housed on Usher Street. Founded in 1740, it was called the Anchor Brewery and rapidly became the second largest brew house in Dublin. By 1782 it was owned by Kavanagh and Brett, which was brewing "under the direction of Mr. Charles Page, of London, porter of a very superior quality, which will be found on trial to equal any imported from England" (1798 ad). In 1818 the business was bought by John D'Arcy for £35,000. He died in 1825. The brewery was then passed to his son, also called John D'Arcy (who founded Clifton in Co. Galway) and then to his son, Matthew. Both were prominent figures within the Dublin business community. John was Lord Mayor of Dublin, and Matthew was deputy lieutenant and magistrate for Cos. Dublin and Wexford, as well as being a regular M.P. for the latter county. Being active in politics at the time, they had a close involvement with Daniel O'Connell, whose son (also called Daniel) was involved in the brewing business, having acquired the Phoenix brewery in 1831. O'Connell and his partners temporarily changed the name to "O'Connell's Brewery". By 1832, the Liberator was forced to state that he would not be a political patron of the brewing trade or his son's company, until he was no longer a Member of Parliament, particularly because O'Connell and Arthur Guinness were political enemies. Guinness was the "moderate" liberal candidate, O'Connell was the "radical" liberal candidate. The rivalry caused dozens of Irish firms to boycott Guinness during the 1841 Repeal election. It was at this time that Guinness was accused of supporting the "Orange system", and its beer was known as "Protestant porter". When the O'Connell family left brewing, the rights to "O'Connell Dublin Ale" was sold to John D'Arcy. The nineteenth century was the high point for the Anchor Brewery. Their most famous brew was "D'Arcy's Dublin porter". The entire brewery premises were considered unique for many reasons. Technically the company was at the forefront of the industry, with wells that could pump 30,000 gallons of water per hour (this had cost £20,000 to build), with one of the country's largest mill-rooms, the largest "mash-tun" in Ireland (25 foot in diameter) and the biggest copper vessel in the world. This copper had a capacity of 1,300 barrels and took 13 months and £3,000 to build. But they was also noted for their attention to quality, with emphasis on cleaning and correct temperature storage. Of the ten breweries that were operating in Dublin in the 1870s, Anchor, was the second largest. It produced 250,000 barrels in 1886 (compared to over 1 million by Guinness), whereas the other breweries in Dublin produced no more than 100,000 barrels between them. Even in the 1920s this firm's premises covered a huge area, employing hundreds, and exporting its famous porter around the globe. The Anchor Brewery finally succumbed to this cut throat competition and at an emergency general meeting of the members of the company, held on 20 Aug. 1926 at the brewery premises on Usher St., the following resolution was passed: "That the Company be wound up voluntarily under the provisions of the Companies (Consolidation) Act, 1908". In 1933 the City Corporation bought most of the old brewery premises on Usher St. under the Housing of the Working Classes Acts (1890-31) and the Housing Act (1932) and started building the Oliver Bond Street flats.

 
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Robert Perry & Son(s) Brewers Rathdowney

IN41		ROBERT PERRY & SON | BREWERS RATHDOWNEY = 5/-
		same both sides "about 10p sized" 30mm?
		mentioned in the letters page IN41
Image courtesy I.Whyte (auctioned Feb '97)
Whytes		as previous
		blank 30mm br
Rubbing, courtesy A.Cunningham
--		ROBERT PERRY & SONS | BREWERS RATHDOWNEY = 1/-
		blank c.28mm? br
*--		ROBERT PERRY & SON | BREWERS RATHDOWNEY = 1/-
		blank 30mm
		Note SON, like the 5/= above.
--		ROBERT PERRY & SONS. BREWERS. RATHDOWNEY.
		blank (Bell unofficial ¼d Queens County 1) 22mm?
		Bell lists one without a value as an unofficial farthing, Bell Queen's County 1, although it does not resemble any other unofficial 1/4ds. It was listed in Batty, B1557A & known to Dr Adams who presumably did not consider it to be a farthing as it was not included in Drury's listing. Dr Adams stated the piece was issued in 1869.
Note SON and SONS on the above pieces. 1831, closed 1966. A Robert Perry & Son, Rathdowney India Pale Ale bottle label.   Rathdowney takes its name from the rath or ring fort which until 1840 was at the end of the town square near the Church of Ireland Church. It was a thirteenth century Norman Manor. One of the earliest references to brewing in Laois was a reference in 1276 to tolls of ale and wine at Rathdowney. It developed as a town in the early nineteenth century with brewing as the main industry. Robert Perry & Son began operating as a brewery in 1831 which continued until 1966 when Perry's Brewery was converted into a successful meat processing plant. As a result of Perry Ale, the town of Rathdowney became well known all over Ireland for its special product. The Ale was transported by horse and huge spring dray to Ballybrophy Station where it was dispersed to Roscrea, Attanagh and Portlaoise. It would seem the Sons later owned flour mills about 20 miles away (which was on the Grand Union Canal and gave easy access to Dublin);- "Situated about three miles from Banagher, fifteen from Tullamore and ten from Parsonstown, stands Belmont. In the centre of this stand the Mills and residents of the Messrs Thomas and James Perry, who however carry on business under the old well-known title of “Robert Perry & Co.” The entire structures are large enough to make a neat hamlet of respectable dimensions. In the centre is the Flour-Mill-an enormous pile of masonry, 100 feet long by 40 in width and 40 in xheight to the eave. This building is quite modern in its style, having been erected in 1879-80 immediately after the destructive fire, the particulars of which appeared at the time in the KING’S COUNTY CHRONICLE. The present Firm have been in occupation since 1866 and the previous Proprietor, who also carried on the flour milling in it, was Captain Collins; but in his time it was not one fourth its present size." The closure of the brewery, by Guinness, was discussed in the Irish Parliament;- (extract from Dáil Éireann - Volume 224 - 11 October, 1966 - Closing of Laois Brewery.) 35. Mr. T.F. O'Higgins asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he proposes to take action to prevent the closing of Perry's Brewery in Rathdowney, County Laois. 36. Mr. Treacy asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware of the anxiety and distress caused by the closure of Perry's Brewery, Rathdowney, County Laois, resulting in a loss of employment on a large scale; what steps it is proposed to take to assist the brewery to continue in operation or to find alternative work for the workers concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. Minister for Industry and Commerce (Mr. Colley): I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 35 and 36 together. Decisions regarding the operations of individual factories are entirely a matter for the principals of these factories and there is no way in which I can compel private interests to continue in business if they consider that it is not commercially feasible for them to do so. I have been in touch with the management of Robert Perry & Son Ltd. and I have been informed by them that there is no possibility of altering their decision to close the brewery. I am, however, keeping in touch with the situation at Rathdowney and I understand that two entirely separate business interests have sought information from the management regarding the purchase of the Rathdowney Brewery and Maltings with a view to establishing an industry there. I can assure the Deputies that any sound industrial proposal which may be formulated in relation to the Rathdowney area will receive all possible assistance from me and from the industrial Development Authority. Mr. O'Leary: Is the Minister aware that from the very outset of this big take-over by Arthur Guinness and Co. the parent company actually set about the deliberate destruction of the Perry's Ale Brewery? This was deliberate policy on the part of Arthur Guinness & Co. Is the Minister now saying that arising from the Government's close relationship with Messrs. Guinness the Government cannot ensure that this company will not go about the country taking over small family concerns in small towns and closing them? An Ceann Comhairle: That enlarges the scope of the question considerably. A Deputy: Thank God for Beamish Another description;- Perry's Ale The Brewery in Rathdowney which is owned by Messrs. Robert Perry and Son, Limited, Brewers and Maltsters, dates back to the early part of the nineteenth century when it was founded by a member of the Perry family, who have since carried it on. The firm was registered in 1877 as a Limited Company under its present title. The business has been steadily progressive, and gives extensive employment. A unique feature is the brewing of non-deposit ale under sole rights for Ireland, and the Company has the distinction of holding the Royal Warrant as brewers to the late Queen Victoria. In connection with the brewery are extensive maltings, with branches at Donaghmore and at Brosna, Roscrea, Irish barley only being used. The firm has always been noted for the excellence of malt they make. - Quote from an Irish trade book 1909. Perrys Ale ceased production in the 1960s. Brewing in Ireland;- The number of breweries in Ireland fell from 118 in 1846 to 39 at the turn of the century, when Dublin produced about three quarters of total output and 96% of exports. Guinness was by then one of the seven largest companies in the world, and its huge turnover made brewing by far the most important industry in the Irish Free State.

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Arthur Guinness & Sons (?)

*--		A.G.S. & Co across field
		1 | SHILLING curved below all stamped on 31mm pewter? (Guinness?)
*--		A.G.S & Co Ld | * LATRINES * = stamped 279 | ..... | stamped F
		blank off centre hole 35mm; brass (Guinness?)
These two pieces are reputed to come from the Guinness factory in Dublin. A letter to the brewery for any information went unanswered. The first is hand made in pewter for 1 shilling. The second is brass and is stamped 279 F. It has been suggested that the F might stand for female. J Mackie & Sons in Belfast also issued a lavatory token which limited the number of visits per day, and each visit was timed;- a maximum of 7 minutes was allowed. Was the Guinness Latrines token used for the same purpose?
(no pic)
--		?
		?
(In TCSB Vol.10 #3 June 2011, p. 99, Francis Heaney noted that tokens were used by staff to get their daily ration of porter at the Dublin brewery. He was unable to get any further details)

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Nuns' Island Distillery - H.S. Persse Galway (1815-1914)

sketch from photo in the program mentioned below
--		H.S.PERSSE | .NUNS' ISLAND DISTILLERY. = off centre hole | 110 (stamped) | _____ | GALWAY
		...PARKES DUBLIN... (variety unknown)
used from c.1870-1914   This was illustrated in a programme for the 1979 Industrial Exhibition in Galway from which the following is taken (info. courtesy F. Heaney); The original Persse Distillery was located at Distillery Road, Newcastle. The original Nuns Island Distillery was opened in 1815 by the Joyce family. In 1840 the Persse family acquired it & converted it into a woollen mill. When the lease on their property in Distillery Road ran out they transferred their distillery business to Nuns' Island, closing the woollen mills. In the late 1870's the distillery had an output of 400,000 gallons of whiskey annually. The "Tally Ticket" illustrated was manufactured by Parkes of Dublin & was in use from c.1870 to 1914 when the distillery closed. The ticket was used as a form of "clocking in", mainly for casual labour. The number 110 was a works number. Workers deposited their tickets on a tray on the way in to work. A "Tally boy" would collect them later & mark off the numbers. At the end of the week payment would be made for the days the number was logged in. In a history of Galway found on the www, the following was found which mentions Persse (perhaps H.S.Persse's father) had a brewery while the Island was still used for linen;- There are also a bleach mill and green on the Nuns' Island, but the linen manufacture does not appear to have been a favourite branch of industry; and, therefore, a linen hall, formerly erected in the west suburbs, has long since gone to decay. A public brewery, on an extensive scale, has been for some years past established at Newcastle, near the town, the property of Mr. Persse, of Roxboro', and another at Maderia Island, beyond the west bridge. The porter made here, but particularly in the former, has been much esteemed, and had for some time a good deal superseded the use of ardent spirits among the lower orders. This, however, interfered but little with Mr. Joyce's extensive distillery at Newtown Smith, in which superior spirits have, for many years past, been distilled under the superintendence of Mr. Finn. - The excise establishment of Galway, it is supposed, produces proportionably more to the public revenue than the duties of the port. Note that Barnard refers to Persse's distillery at Newcastle, whereas the above suggests it was a brewery! Barnard also refers to it as Nun's (sic) rather than Nuns'. The following was found on the www. 1865 photo from the National Gallery. During the reign of King Henry VIII, Galway supplied almost all of Ireland with wine. The trade declined gradually, and by the time this photograph was taken in 1865, the manufacture of whiskey had taken its place. The following details are from the book Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom, by Alfred Barnard, published by Harper's Weekly Gazette in 1887. more on this distillery NUN'S ISLAND DISTILLERY Galway Proprietor, H. S. Persse. The Nun's Island Distillery was established at the beginning of the [19th] century, and is the only distillery in Connaught. It was purchased from the Encumbered Estates Court in the year 1840, by the father of the present proprietor, who considerably enlarged and improved it. Prior to that date, from 1815 to the period mentioned, it belonged to the Joyce family. During Mr. Persse senior's occupation, he turned the distillery into a woollen factory, and it quickly became noted for its excellent friezes, but when the trade for this article declined, and Mr. Persse's lease of Newcastle Distillery expired, he restored the works at Nun's Island to their original business, and carried on all his distillery operations there. The Distillery is planted on the centre of a small island, formed by the fork of the River Corrib, and is reached by a bridge from the main road. We entered by a stone gateway into a large triangular courtyard, round which are ranged a series of buildings. As you enter the yard the first object that strikes the eye is a large circular tank, elevated on stout iron columns, painted a bright scarlet, and which can be seen above the stone walls from the outside of the premises. The make is called Galway Whisky, and the output is 10,000 gallons, 25 o.p., weekly, or annually about 400,000 gallons.

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John Wrafter Malt House

Image courtesy I.Whyte
		JOHN WRAFTER | MARYBOROUGH (between 2 oval lines)= MALT HOUSE
		blank c/m 7 26x30mm oval lead
Whytes auction Feb. 1997, lot 234. Maryborough is now called Port Laois, Co Laois A 1882 list of magistrates contains the following entry;- Wrafter, John (J.P. King's County), Derry House, Rosenallis, and Maryborough.

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Edwd. C. Burke Quarter Barrel Galway

Image courtesy Ian Whyte
Mac741		QUAY STREET | QUARTER BARREL | DISTILLERY
		EDWd C. BURKE GALWAY 1844 = ancient oared galley-lion on shield (Galway arms)38mm
I originally thought the distillery was called "Quarter Barrel" however it might be called "Quay Street Distillery" or "Burke's Distillery" and be for a quarter barrel! Note the galley is similar to the one on the Ouzel Galley piece, made by Parkes of Dublin and listed under Miscellaneous (Tickets & Passes). That piece has 3 rowers and 4 oars! This galley has 6 oars and 6 rowers.

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Westport Distillery

Illustration courtesy of Frances & Howard Simmons, www.simmonsgallery.co.uk.
DW62		CHECK | WESTPORT | DISTILLERY | GRAINS
		bracteate 38.7x52.2mm AE. Recorded in Davis & Waters.
Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) records the following under Westport;- In the town is an extensive distillery belonging to W. Levingston, Esq., established in 1826, producing annually about 60,000 gallons of whiskey and consuming 29,000 bushels of grain; a brewery belonging to the same gentleman, and established by his father in 1800, has very much declined since the reduction of the duty on spirits, but is still considerable; in both these concerns about 150 men are regularly employed. Another brewery, with a malting concern, has been established by Messrs. Graham, who have two salt-works and three corn-stores on the quay, and a tannery in the town, affording together employment to 30 persons, and to double that number during the winter.

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Bushmills (USA medal)

		OLD BUSHMILLS IRISH WHISKEY | SINCE 1608 = a bottle of whiskey between 2 shamrocks
		BUSHMILLS GRAND PRIX | NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA = a powerboat

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