Irish Trade Department

Repository: Guinness Archive

Identity Statement

TitleIrish Trade Department
Archive ReferenceIE GA/GDB/SA02
Web Link to this Entryhttps://iar.ie/archive/irish-trade-department
Creation Dates1931-1953
Extent Medium3 Series + 2 Sub series

Context

Creator(s): Arthur Guinness Son & Company Limited

  • Administrative History ↴

    Arthur Guinness was born in Celbridge, County Kildare in 1725. It seems that Arthur first learnt the art of brewing from his father Richard, whose job as a land steward included brewing beer for workers on the estate of Dr. Arthur Price, later Archbishop of Cashel. In 1759, at the age of thirty four, Arthur Guinness signed a 9000-year lease for the St. James's Gate Brewery, Dublin, at an annual rent of £45. The Brewery was only four acres in size, disused, and had little brewing equipment. But in only ten years, despite competition from imported English beers, Arthur began to export his beer to England. Arthur began by brewing ale, and in the 1770s started brewing 'porter', a new type of dark English beer. Arthur's porter was so successful that in 1799 he stopped brewing ale. By the time Arthur died in 1803, he had built a successful brewing business, with a promising export trade. Arthur married Olivia Whitmore, and had twenty one children, ten of whom survived into adulthood. When he died, his son Arthur Guinness II took over the Brewery. In all, seven generations of the Guinness family were directly involved in the brewery management. Arthur Guinness II developed the business, expanding the export trade, and brewing a new beer 'Extra Superior Porter'. By the 1830s, St. James's Gate Brewery was the largest brewery in Ireland. In 1855 Arthur II's son, Benjamin Lee Guinness, took over. Under Benjamin, the first trade mark label for GUINNESS® stout was introduced in 1862. When Benjamin died in 1868, his son Edward Cecil took over. Under Edward's leadership the brewery became the largest in the world. In 1886 the business was floated on the London Stock Exchange and Edward became Chairman. By the end of the 19th century the brewery had grown to sixty acres, sales of GUINNESS® Stout were over 1.2 million barrels a year, and GUINNESS® Stout was available across the world. In the 20th century the Guinness family continued to lead the business. Edward Guinness died in 1927, and his son Rupert became Chairman. Rupert's grandson Benjamin became Chairman in 1962, and was the last member of the Guinness family to hold this position, which he resigned in 1986. In 1929, the first advertising campaign for GUINNESS® was launched. More product innovations took place including the launch of GUINNESS® Draught in 1959. GUINNESS® Draught in Can was launched in 1988 thanks to the 'widget' – a groundbreaking invention in beer packaging technology. From the 1940s to 1980s a major overhaul of brewing machinery took place, making the brewery one of the most technologically advanced in the world. In 1936 the first overseas GUINNESS® Brewery was opened. It proved successful and was followed by four more in Nigeria (1962), Malaysia (1965), Cameroon (1970), and Ghana (1971). Licences were also issued to brewers in other countries so that GUINNESS® could be brewed locally. By the end of the 20th century, GUINNESS® was brewed in over 40 countries, and sold in over 150. In 1997 GUINNESS Plc merged with Grand Metropolitan Plc in a £24 billion merger. A new company was formed called 'Diageo' Plc. Today, 10 million glasses of GUINNESS® are enjoyed daily around the world.
  • Archival History ↴

    The Guinness Archive was established in 1998 and at this time all historical papers relating to the Company were transferred to the Guinness Archive.
  • Immediate Source Acquisition ↴

    Official Transfer

Content & Structure

  • Scope & Content: Arthur Guinness Son & Company Limited ↴

    These are the surviving papers of the Irish Trade Department, created in connection with its trade transactions.
    The records of the Irish Trade Department, which were kept in file form, fall into two distinct series of files. These series document their main area of responsibility: Irish Trade including the supply of advertising material to Irish customers.
    The Irish Trade Department’s files document: matters handled in connection with Irish trade by Irish Trade Department, such as: customer accounts; customer supplies; analysis of trade performance across districts; operation of Irish Trade Stores and agencies; public relations, visits to individual trade stores, bottling practices, trade customers visiting St. James’s Gate; matters handled in connection with supply of British Trade with Dublin Brewed beer by Irish Trade Department, such as: adjusting prices in response to budgetary changes to duty; quality control measures such as monitoring storage temperatures; maintaining control over levels of supply; devising allocations for Trade Stores in light of brewing restrictions in aftermath of Second World War; gathering information on market conditions and sales in Great Britain for benefit of brewing operations; matters handled in connection with supply of Continental and Foreign Trade with Dublin Brewed beer by Irish Trade Department, such as: supplies of Guinness Export Stout and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout; brewing and distribution of `Festival Guinness`; bottling of Stout by Guinness Exports Limited.
    The records of the Irish Trade Department also include advertising department papers with particular reference to: advertising material available to Irish customers including Northern Ireland, distribution of advertising memorabilia to customers including customers in America, the administration of advertising requests from Irish customers.

  • Appraisal Destruction ↴

    Permanent Retention
  • Arrangement ↴

    The papers within the Irish Trade Department have been categorised as such because they were created by Staff within the English Trade Department in connection with their trade functions. The papers are divided into sub series and where possible are arranged chronologically.

Conditions of Access & Use

Access Conditions On application to the Guinness Archivist
Conditions Governing ReproductionAt the discretion of Guinness Archivist
Creation Dates1931-1953
Extent Medium3 Series + 2 Sub series
Material Language ScriptEnglish
Finding Aids Descriptive list Archive Web Link →

Allied Materials

There are no Allied Materials

Descriptive Control Area

Archivist NoteDeirdre McParland
Rules/ConventionsISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description. 2nd ed. Ottawa: International Council on Archives, 2000.
Date of Descriptions40396