Ireland: Molson Coors to close Cork's Franciscan Well Brewery

The owners of Cork's Franciscan Well Brewery have proposed its closure in the New Year, following the difficult decision to cease producing its branded beer, Cork Beo reported on November 17.

The Brewery, established in 1998, underwent a brand refresh in 2022 and released new products - Well Hazy and the Dockland Series - in the last two years, but owners of the Franciscan Well beer brand, Molson Coors, have announced that they will cease production of several trademark Leeside drinks and propose closing the brewery thereafter. 15 employees at the Brewery will be impacted by the proposed closure. It's understood that the Franciscan Well pub - a separate entity - will be unaffected.

Molson Coors explained that "it has not been possible to grow the brands to the level needed to sustain the brewery as part of our UK and Ireland production network." The Brewery sits on the bank of the River Lee in Cork city. Beer brands that originated with the Franciscan Well include Chieftain IPA, Rebel Red and Shandon Stout, as well as those more recent additions Well Hazy and Dockside.

Ahead of the proposed closure, current owners Molson Coors said they acknowledge the "special place" the Brewery has for locals on leeside and that they remain "open to conversations" with interested parties about the future of the Brewery and its brands.

In a statement on November 17, Molson Coors explained: "It is with a heavy heart that today we announce we will cease production of the Franciscan Well brands early in the New Year and as a result, propose to close our Franciscan Well brewery in Cork.

"This decision has not been taken lightly, and we are providing our 15 impacted employees with every support. Over the past decade we have invested in the Franciscan Well Brewery and the brand portfolio, most recently refreshing the visual brand identity in November 2022, and releasing new product development with Well Hazy in early 2023 and the Docklands Series in 2024.

"Unfortunately, despite great work from the team, in the face of a challenging craft beer category and other economic pressures impacting our customers and consumers, it has not been possible to grow the brands to the level needed to sustain the brewery as part of our UK and Ireland production network. Our local distribution partner will be working with customers in the coming weeks.

“We have entered into a consultation process with our impacted employees and will work through this process with integrity and respect for everyone affected. We will seek redeployment for all displaced employees wherever possible. We understand the special place the Franciscan Well brewery and brands have in the local community and remain open to conversations with interested parties about the future of the brewery and brands."