10 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Award-winning Roscommon brewery announces its closure
In an email to staff, the owners of the Ballinlough-based Black Donkey Brewing said they have decided to cease trading after over a decade in business.
Founded in 2014 by husband-and-wife Richard Siberry and Michaela Dillon, Black Donkey Brewing was Ireland's first brewery to brew commercially with native wild yeast.
Explaining their decision to close, Mr Siberry said the country's alcohol licensing laws 'make it difficult and prohibitively expensive for small breweries to sell directly to consumers'.
'Ireland's archaic, and arcane alcohol licensing laws have stifled innovation, growth, and tourism potential in the independent brewing sector for far too long,' added the Louth native.
'Unlike our counterparts in the UK, US, and mainland Europe, we have never had the ability to run a taproom or sell a pint on-site without navigating costly and convoluted legal and licensing barriers.'
He said, despite putting 'everything we had - personally, professionally, and financially - into Black Donkey', that the environment for small producers had become 'untenable'.
After living abroad for three decades, Mr Siberry and his wife moved to the west of Ireland in 2012 where they established Black Donkey Brewing.
Known for signature beers like Sheep Stealer and the Underworld series, the brewery won multiple awards.
A buyer for the business was found in 2024 but no sale ever came to pass. The decision to close came after an unsuccessful search for another buyer.
Operations will wind down over the coming months, and the brewery will honour all existing commitments to suppliers, customers, and staff.
