ARTHUR GUINNESS’S stout is arguably one of the best-known things to come out of Ireland.
But despite his ever-prevailing legacy, many things about Arthur’s life remain unclear– such as the date of his birth.
While many sources place his birthday squarely on 24 September, 1725, there is no definitive proof of this– and in 1991, to end speculation regarding his date of birth, the Guinness Company announced his official birthday would be recognised as 28 September.
But while the details of his birth are disputed, the beginnings of his career and the steps he took to create Ireland’s most popular drink are well-catalogued.
The grandson of poor tenants, Arthur Guinness began the multi-billion euro industry with just £100 at the age of 27, after being left the money in his godfather’s will.
From that £100 — around £20,000 in today’s money– he set up the first Guinness brewery in Leixlip, County Kildare, the first step in creating the industry which is worth over 40 billion euro today.
As the business grew, Arthur used the money he had earned to take out an incredible 9,000 year long lease on a disused brewery in St James’ Gate in Dublin.
If that name sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the address of one of Ireland’s most popular tourist spots, the Guinness Storehouse– still doing exceptionally well 200 years later, and with plans to expand and transform the area in the coming years.
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** btw… in honor of this brewing Guinness birthday… let’s MEME this up!!! **