Cairnes Ltd Rectangular Tin

Cairnes Ltd tin tray dating from the 1950s.

Woolsey's Castlebellingham Brewery

The origins of the Castlebellingham Brewery in County Louth date back to 1772.
The brewery was owned by the Woolsey family and traded as John Woolsey & Co.
The Company was registered as John Woolsey & Co. Ltd in 1888.

William Cairnes Drogheda Brewery

William Cairnes, who was related in marriage to the Woolsey's, founded the brewery in Marsh Lane, Drogheda, in 1828. William had been an apprentice at the Woolsey's Castlebellingham brewery.
Cairnes mainly traded in Dublin and Belfast.
The Company traded as William Cairnes & Sons, and was famous for its ales and stouts.

Castlebellingham & Drogheda Breweries Ltd

In 1890, the interests of the two breweries were combined, and a new Company was registered as the Castlebellingham & Drogheda Breweries Ltd, to acquire John Woolsey & Co. Ltd, and its Castlebellingham Brewery, and William Cairnes & Sons Drogheda Brewery.
The two breweries continued to operate separately each supplying its own customers both in Ireland and abroad.
The Castlebellingham Brewery ceased brewing in 1923 and all brewing was concentrated in Drogheda, which held the most modern plant, and was on the site of a 400ft deep artesian well.
The Company's name was simplified to Cairnes Ltd in 1933.
The business was acquired by Guinness in 1959, and was closed.