Smithwick's Experience Kilkenny

Smithwick's Experience Kilkenny

The Exterior of the Smithwick's Experience
Established	Brewery: 1706, Current Brewery Tour: 2014
Location	44 Parliament St, Kilkenny, Ireland
Website	http://www.smithwicksexperience.com/

Smithwick's Experience Kilkenny (formerly St. Francis Abbey Brewery and Kilkenny Brewery) is a brewery-turned-brewery-tour located on the Medieval Mile in Kilkenny, Ireland.

The Smithwick's Experience Kilkenny is the original site where Smithwick's was brewed from the 1700s until 2014. Previously, the site was owned by Franciscan monks who also brewed beer before they were dissolved during the Reformation in 1537. The site is now a brewery tour that includes tastings, visual effects including holograms, and a gift shop. The brewery tour is laid out over two floors and sits on the original abbey foundations.

Recognised as one of Ireland’s oldest breweries, the site originated as a notable Franciscan monastery called St. Francis Abbey. In fact, during the expansion of Smithwicks Brewery in 1854, the nave and chancel of the abbey were discovered within the grounds of the brewery. The sacristy has been restored as an oratory at the brewery. The well was dedicated to St Francis and long held in great veneration, is located about 45 metres to the northeast of the friary and is now underneath one of the brewery buildings. The Abbey and brewery closed after 300 years due to the Reformation in Ireland in 1537. Many years later in 1705, the land was leased to John Smithwick and Richard Cole, who started a brewing business. The land at that time was owned by the Duke of Ormond. In 1710, John Smithwick became the owner, but this was not publicly known because according to the penal laws, as a Catholic, Smithwick was not allowed to own property. Penal laws were revoked in 1782, allowing the Smithwick family to publicly claim ownership.

Many years later, John Smithwick's grandson Edmond Smithwick picked up the business. The brewery stayed entirely in the Smithwicks family until 1964, when Guinness and Company (Diageo) bought a controlling share of the brewery.