Managing Director of the Carlow Brewing Company, Seamus O’Hara has been appointed as new chairperson of the Irish Brewer’s Association (IBA), which represents brewers and distributors of beer in Ireland.
Exports of Irish beer are currently worth €295 million, while according to the IBA, beer production is also the most important sector within the drinks industry in terms of indigenous manufacturing and providing jobs.
Direct employment by the commercial beer industry rose by 8% between 2013 and 2014, and in 2015 beer accounted for 21% of all beverage exports, reaching a value of €265 million.
O’Hara, who set up the Carlow Brewing Company in 1996, commented, "It is a great honour to be entrusted with the role of chairperson of the Irish Brewers Association."
He added that the appointment was an acknowledged of the importance of the craft beer sector to the wider brewing industry.
"I hope that I can use my experience in developing a small but successful brewery within a fledgling industry to guide the Irish Brewers Association over the next two years."
The Carlow Brewing Company is celebrating two decades in operation this year, and is behind the successful O’Hara’s beer range. Half of everything the brewery now produces is exported to more than 25 countries, including the US, France, Italy, Russia, Norway and Croatia.
Secretary General of the IBA Jonathan McDade said, “Seamus’s appointment as the new chair of the Irish Brewers Association is a tribute to his fine work in promoting high quality beer in Ireland.
"He is a credit to the industry and I am confident that he will represent our proud industry with his insightful expertise and unquestionable dedication to brewing in Ireland."
© 2016 - Checkout Magazine by Jenny Whelan.
