Molson Coors Beverage Co is set to stop producing its Franciscan Well brands and will consequently close the dedicated brewery in Ireland.
The facility, located in Cork in the south-west of the country, is expected to shut early next year, with 15 employees entering a formal consultation process. Molson Coors said the decision follows sustained challenges in Ireland’s craft beer segment alongside broader economic pressures that have limited the brand’s ability to grow scale within the group’s UK and Ireland production network.
The company noted that it has invested in Franciscan Well in recent years – including a brand refresh in 2022 and new product launches such as Well Hazy and the Docklands Series — but the business had “not been possible to grow… to the level needed to sustain the brewery”.
“We understand the special place the Franciscan Well brewery and brands have in the local community and remain open to conversations with interested parties about the future of the brewery and brands,” the brewer added.
Founded in 1998, the business was acquired by Molson Coors in 2013.
Earlier this month, Molson Coors booked a fifth consecutive quarter of declining sales (-3.3%), although the Q3 figures were “aligned with our expectations”.
