Smithwick Brewery

If you smell something funny in the air, it may be the Budweiser being brewed under licence in the Smithwick Brewery . Now owned by drinks giant Diageo (Guinness, Harp and lots of spirits), the brewery is no longer the civic icon it once was. The tours which were enjoyed by generations are now a thing of the past, in their place are sporadic summertime showings of a promotional video. Enjoy!

What's worse is that right in the middle of the complex is St Francis' Abbey, which was founded by William Marshall in 1232, but desecrated first by Cromwell in 1650 and then by Diageo. It's an intriguing structure but it's now off limits. When we asked at the gate to see this amazing relic, the guard told us in no uncertain terms to 'go look at one of the other old places in town'.

Note that Smithwick's Irish Ale is also known as Kilkenny Ale, the name it's sold under at scores of fake Irish bars in Europe. Locally, most people still drink its corporate cousin, Guinness.