James J.Murphy & Co. Ltd Round Alloy

James J.Murphy & Co. Ltd alloy tray dating from the late 1940s.

Foundation of The Lady's Well Brewery

The business was founded in Cork, Ireland, by James Jeremiah Murphy in 1856.
The Lady's Well Brewery soon gained a reputation for producing high quality ales under Murphy's leadership, and the Company was awarded a Gold Medal at the Brewers' & Allied Trade Exhibition in Dublin in 1892.
Before his death in 1897, Murphy built a New Malt house in 1889, which is still the Company's headquarters.
By 1906 Murphy's estate included 200 public houses and it was the second largest brewery in Ireland, after Arthur Guinness, Son & Co. Ltd.

The Watney Mann Ltd & Heineken Takeovers

The Murphy family had a presence in the Company until the Lady's Well Brewery was acquired by Watney Mann Ltd in 1966.
In 1971 the Irish government bought the Company which was subsequently purchased by Licensed Vitners Holdings, a consortium of independent publicans.
In 1978 the Company successfully launched Heineken lager into the Irish market but the Company was struggling financially and was taken over by Heineken N.V in 1983. The Company was renamed Murphy Brewery Ireland Ltd in 1984.
In 2001 the name of the brewery was changed to Heineken Brewery Ireland Ltd. The brewery produces Heineken lager, Murphy's Irish Stout and other Heineken products for the Irish market.

The manufacturer's mark states - Made in England by B.A.T.Co. Ltd Smethwick. 757