Back in October of last year, I got slapped around quite a bit when I suggested that Guinness had closed St. James Gate already, as I heard the rumor quite some time before that it was in the works and had sort of figured that the deed had been done. Turns out I was wrong, but not as wrong as some of my critics supposed. I was just ahead of my time. A friend returned recently from Dublin (thanks Chris) and sent me this article from the Irish Independent entitled Last Orders for Brewery as Sale Looms.
The article begins:
The closure of the iconic Guinness brewery at St James’s Gate in Dublin could be one step closer after drinks giant Diageo appointed three sets of consultants to oversee the sale of the prestigious Dublin site. The move away from the city centre could net Diageo a windfall of up to €3bn for the 56-acre plot.
In an effort to keep this from happening, city councilors passed a motion trying to make sure that by law there must be a brewery at the current location. It is believed that “this could restrict future development at the site, thereby reducing its market value.” So it appears that even the City of Dublin is trying to keep Diageo from closing down the nearly 250-year old Guinness brewery at St. James Gate. But if I had to guess, as an international conglomerate, I imagine Diageo will figure out a way around such a small obstacle as that if they really want to unload it.
Do bear in mind that the Irish Independent is often not the most reliable source of information. Note the use of “could be”, “It is believed that” and “Reports say”: it looks very much like the reporter heard this from a bloke in a pub. The weekend before Christmas, at that.
That said, selling most of the St James’s Gate site, like many of the Independent’s hacks, is a total no-brainer.