The Story of Errigal Brewing Co.

Everything happens for a reason...

This is a story and a half. Way back in 2002, shortly after opening Caisleain Oir Hotel and not having two pennies to rub together we were on the hunt for a coldroom for our kegs at a liquidation auction. At that auction there was a brewery for sale. Our father Dom McDevitt's eyes lit up but we convinced him we did not have the ability to buy it and we came home with our coldroom and worked in the intervening years building up or hospitality business in Caisleain Oir Hotel to what it is today. Dom often recounted about the missed opportunity of the brewery.

Fast forward to the first COVID lockdown of March 2020. We went from working 10 days a week to having a lot of time on our hands. We set about renovating the hotel and discussing business opportunities. Our Aunt (Dom's Sister) came for dinner in the hotel during one of the periods when we opened and she told us that she had heard of a man selling a brewery. We contacted him and that was the spark that lit the flame.

So with the brewery bought and lockdown still on and off we set about trying to establish the business. Another massive lockdown loomed after an opening at Christmas. A wedding of a very special couple was to change it all. We had nothing but time to kill when we hosted a wedding for Aine & Ewan at their home in Carrickfinn. Ceremony by the beach, dinner outdoors at the back of their house all served up by ourselves. After that day we discovered they were brewing industry people. Aine called us one day and asked us to meet an industry expert she knew who might be able to train us.

Declan Nixon was the contact, an Independent Brewing Expert, former head brewer of Yellowbelly Beers and owner of Otterbank Brewing and Blending in Muff, Co. Donegal. A brewing industry expert with his main interests in barrel ageing and souring. Declan came on board to help us get Errigal brewing off the ground.

Errigal Brewing company was founded in 2021 at Caisleain Oir Hotel by Anita & James McDevitt. A COVID lockdown project, our mission was to be able to make our own beer and serve it at our HQ Caisleain Oir Hotel. Led and inspired by Declan Nixon, we started brewing our beers for the hotel. We started selling bottles at our payment desk in the hotel and it grew legs from there. We were then approached by a few local shops, restaurants and bars about stocking our products and we began bottling and brewing more. In 2022 we were approached by BWG who offered to distribute our beer around the county. We reorganised our production and fermentation capabilities and we set about this.

We have since gone from strength to strength, rebranding, researching and innovating, developing a canning line, web development and merchandising.

We look forward to creating a visitor experience at Errigal Brewing in the near future and we invite you to share in our journey and to enjoy our expression of the craic in the hills. Everything happens for a reason.

Sláinte from Errigal Brewing Company "Tá an Craic San Cnoic"

Anita & James McDevitt