News of the closure of St Francis Abbey Brewery in December 2013 has spread quickly, leaving many people sad at the prospect of the closure of the landmark facility in the city.
Fine Gael TD John Paul Phelan said while the decision to close the local brewery in Kilkenny was not unexpected and had been heralded over a year ago he has written to management, asking them to explain this decision.
He said: “This is another blow for Kilkenny. These were great, well-paying jobs and the decision to close this brewery is a massive blow to the city, to the workers and their families. We are actively seeking replacement jobs in the city for these workers who have given a lifetime to this company.
“The ongoing work of groups such as Invest Kilkenny under county manager Joe Crockett is exemplary and we are hopeful that his efforts and the efforts of the group will reap rewards soon.”
Meanwhile council chairman Paul Cuddihy added at this month’s meeting of the council, “It is very regretful to hear of the closure of the brewery. I do hope that we have a future use of that site. We don’t like hearing of job losses, but the brewery has a good track record for staff and I hope they look after the staff regarding transfers and/or redundancies.”
