Guinness maker Diageo wants to double capacity of new Kildare brewery
Gordon Deegan
Guinness producer Diageo is to lodge plans with Kildare County Council to double the brewing capacity of its €200 million state-of-the-art carbon neutral brewery at Littleconnell, Co Kildare.
Construction work at the brewery has been continuing since June last year. Diageo on Thursday confirmed that the proposed expansion will more than double the brewery’s capacity to 4.5 million hectolitres.
The drinks giant had already earmarked the Co Kildare brewery as a production hub for Diageo lager and ales including Rockshore, Harp, Hop House 13, Smithwick’s, Kilkenny and Carlsberg.
Now, the planned doubling of capacity will result in the plant becoming a production hub for Guinness and Guinness 0.0 growth in emerging markets.
St James Gate in Dublin is currently the only Diageo site in the world where Guinness 0.0 is brewed while Guinness is brewed in many locations around the world.
Diageo’s planned expansion of the plant follows it reporting in June that on-trade yearly volume sales of Guinness 0.0 draught grew 161 per cent between June 2022 and March 2025. Diageo is eyeing the zero alcohol product's global potential based on its Irish rollout.
A spokeswoman for Diageo stressed that St James’s Gate in Dublin “will remain the heart and soul of Guinness, continuing to brew for its largest and most established markets, including Ireland, the UK and the US”.
She said: “Diageo’s commitment to this iconic site—its heritage, its legacy, and its future—remains stronger than ever.”
Diageo expects to lodge the planning application in early November and the proposed expansion at Littleconnell “forms part of Diageo’s long-term plan to increase capacity and flexibility to support future growth opportunities as they arise”.
The spokeswoman said that “while the realisation and timings of this expansion will depend on a number of external factors, it reflects Diageo’s long-standing commitment to Ireland and reinforces the country’s position as a strategic base for sustainable export-led growth”.
Commenting on the new plans to be lodged, Diageo’s global head of beer supply, Colin O’Brien, said: “This planned expansion at Littleconnell is designed to position us for future global growth opportunities for Guinness and Guinness 0.0.
“By increasing our capacity, we can better serve emerging markets while strengthening Ireland’s position as a leading market for beer exports.
“It’s a significant step forward in our commitment to sustainable brewing and will be an industry gold standard for energy and water efficiency.”
It is expected that first brew for lagers and ales at the Littleconnell site will take place in early 2026.
Diageo will be hoping for a smoother passage through the planning system for the new application.
Plans were lodged for the €200 million brewery in July 2022 and the scheme was stalled after the sole objector to the brewery, John Lynch, mounted a High Court challenge seeking to quash An Bord Pleanala’s December 2023 green light for the project.
The farmer and undertaker last year withdrew his proceedings after successful mediation talks with Diageo.
