Bulmers Ltd Round Tin

Bulmers Ltd tin tray dating from the 1960s. Cider production started by William Magner in Clonmel, South Tipperary in 1935. Magner purchased the orchard from Mr Phelan and established a successful cider mill on the site of Thomas Murphy's brewery in Dowd's Lane, Clonmel. In 1937, English cider manufacturer's H.P.Bulmer Ltd purchased a 50% share in the business, using its expertise to greatly increase production. In 1946, Bulmer's purchased the remaining 50%, changing the Company name to Bulmer's Ltd Clonmel. H.P.Bulmer Ltd maintained international rights to the Bulmer's trademark, so that any exports were carried out through the parent company rather than directly exported from Ireland. In the 1960s, H.P.Bulmer Ltd produced a champagne perry product in direct competition with Babycham, which was owned by Showerings Ltd of Shepton Mallet. Showerings challenged this in court, and H.P.Bulmer Ltd lost the case. In 1964, it was forced to sell Bulmer's Clonmel operations to Guinness and Allied Breweries Ltd, the parent Company of Showerings Ltd. Soon after, the Company moved its main processing operations to a new complex at Annerville, near to Clonmel, which opened in 1965. The Company name was changed from Bulmers Ltd to Showerings (Ireland) Ltd shortly afterwards. The business is now owned by the C&C Group and employs more than 470 people.