Smithwick’s retirees’ nostalgic tour of Kilkenny's Abbey Quarter Brewhouse

Six former Smithwick’s brewers, engineers and managers who enjoyed a nostalgic visit to their former workplace said they were astounded by the Brewhouse building which has been given a new lease of life as a modern workplace.

The former brewery site was developed by Abbey Quarter Development as a new urban quarter and is now home to Tirlán and a number of other organisations.

The former colleagues from Smithwick’s praised the transformation and the people-focused atmosphere in the repurposed Brewhouse building.

PICTURED ABOVE: During their Brewhouse visit were former Smithwick’s managers Donal Fennelly, Michael Gillen, Tony Joyce, Edward Dempsey, Tirlán’s Head of Talent Management Karen Fennelly O’Brien, Paul Armstrong, Tirlán’s Chief Operating and Consumer Officer, Jim O’Neill and Joe Ledwidge  

The VIP tour of their former workplace was aptly coordinated and facilitated by Jim O’Neill, Tirlán’s Chief Operating and Consumer Officer, and Karen O’Brien, Tirlán’s Head of Talent Management.

Family Ties
Jim’s late father, Jerry O’Neill, was the Head Brewer in Kilkenny and worked at the old site alongside Karen’s father, Donal Fennelly, who was one of the six former managers to visit.

Jim O’Neill said it was an honour to show the retired group around Tirlán’s new Abbey Quarter hub. He said it was a very different site from the one he first remembers walking around as an eight or nine year-old with his late father when he would pop in to check on the weekend team on a Saturday morning.

“I recognised and had previously met all but one of this energetic and enthusiastic group and it was a very nostalgic trip down memory lane with them. What most impressed them was the energy of the place. It has brought a completely new lease of life into a part of the city which was bustling during their work life but had become eerily quiet for too long.

“They were delighted that the building has been repurposed and put to such good use. They loved the energy, the layout, the vibe and the feel in the new Tirlán headquarters. It was a very special visit.”

Donal Fennelly (81), former Engineering Manager at Smithwick’s, said it was a nostalgic, emotional visit. “While in its day the brewery provided excellent employment, the site was not a thing of beauty in the middle of our medieval city. It’s really great to see it replaced by a modern, well-designed office complex with enviable working conditions. It was a place where my father worked, where my late brother worked, where my wife, Helen, worked. I worked there for 24 years. But now, by happy coincidence, I’m glad to see my daughter, Karen there today.

“So much has changed and its replacement looks so well! The meeting of retired colleagues was probably the most nostalgic element of our visit and so well organised by Jim O’Neill and Karen O’Brien. We are eternally grateful to them for the fantastic journey down memory lane.” Click next to read on and see more photographs from the visit.