The tradition of local brewing has been brought back to the town of Thurles, Co Tipperary, under the name of Dwans, a family that was a major force in the Irish soft drinks industry for over 60 years.
The launch this week of an ambitious microbrewery, pub and restaurant is a sign of confidence in the further growth of the market share being reclaimed by small local breweries springing up in Ireland and other countries.
A 9,000 sq ft granary building on The Mall in Thurles has been restored by Bill Dwan (36), whose grandfather, W.J. Dwan, set up the well-known Dwan minerals brand in 1921.
Dwan's soft drinks were familiar to customers throughout Ireland, particularly in Munster, until the company was sold in the mid-1980s and the brand declined.
Bill Dwan says he wants to reinvent the brand, using crafted beers. In a £1.5 million investment, he has installed a microbrewery in the stone building and opened a spacious bar and restaurant beside it where the only beers sold on draught are those freshly brewed on the premises. These include two stouts, an aromatic country ale, and two authentic lagers - one American style and one European style.
After graduating in marketing, Bill Dwan says, he cast about for a product to which the family brand name could be transferred. He considered, and rejected, the idea of producing potato crisps, jams, jellies, tea or coffee.
But when he encountered the microbrewery phenomenon, particularly the success of the Porterhouse in Dublin's Parliament Street, he was excited by it and carried out extensive research before deciding to create a similar business in his home town.
"The big gamble was, would people accept unbranded beers, or own-brand beers, in a town in the centre of rural Ireland," he says. He was certain the idea would work if the atmosphere was right and if the brewing was first-class. The few weeks of trading before the official launch have supported his conviction.
He brought in a master brewer, Davy Jones, a Londoner, to oversee operations in the brewery, which can produce batches of 1,500 litres four times a week. With over 14 years' experience of brewing in the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia, Davy Jones insists that "good brewing practice means you'll have good beer".
A range of quality bottled beers and wines from around the world complement the new Dwans draught beers sold in the bars. The Dwan beers will also be bottled, and there are plans to distribute them nationally.
"I will eventually develop a network of these `brewpubs'," says Bill Dwan. "Microbrewed products are the major growth area in the beer market worldwide. I see this as a reversal of the market developments which led to the closure of thousands of small local breweries during the past century. "The US has led the way, and now almost every sizeable town there has at least one microbrewery brewing beer to local tastes."
There is a lot happening in Thurles now, he points out. The town's economy suffered severely in the last 10 years, particularly from the closure of the sugar company, but it has fought back, and new industrial and educational projects are boosting the population in the area.
In the last century, there were two breweries in Thurles, Ryan's in Cathedral Street and Bray's in Abbey Road. At that time, the brewing industry in Ireland was as vibrant as the wine industry in France.
The former corn store in which Bill Dwan has set out to revive the brewing tradition was built in 1861 and is steeped in history. The restoration has made striking use of its handsome stonework, and the interior design makes liberal use of steel and natural wood to create a modern ambience within a traditional building.
The brewhouse will create 40 jobs and adds a significant tourist attraction to Thurles. If the marketplace endorses it, there is little doubt the idea will be emulated in other rural towns.
The beer market in Ireland is worth about £2 billion a year, and Bill Dwan believes that microbreweries and the brewing "giants" can coexist harmoniously within it. "I feel the craft brewing industry is going to help the brewing industry generally - it will `grow' the beer market overall," he says.