It’s safe to say these guys know a thing or two about brewing.

Two cousins, Barry and Donie Hosford, have clocked up a whopping 80 years working at HEINEKEN Ireland’s Lady’s Well Brewery in Cork.

Eighty years. That’s a lifetime of pints. And not just any pints, mind you, but the kind that have been quenching thirsts since 1856.

Donie joined the brewery in January 1984, with Barry joining a few months later in May of that year. They are the fourth generation of Hosfords to work in Lady’s Well Brewery on Leitrim Street where they continue a family legacy of brewing. At one point in the 1960s, the brewery had five Hosford brothers working there, including both Barry and Donie’s fathers and three of their uncles.

Barry joined the brewery when he picked up a summer job in 1984. At the time, the brewery was switching from aluminium kegs to stainless steel kegs, and Barry’s job was to switch the filling tubes from the old kegs to the new ones. Barry decided to stay with the brewery, initially working in the lab before taking on roles as a utilities operator and then as a racking operator. He is now a production supervisor in the brewery.

Stories and characters

“I remember coming here with my dad and seeing horses deliver the kegs,” said Donie, fondly.

“Now, we have a fully automated Brewhouse, electric forklifts and a revamped office building. It’s amazing to think of all the stories and the characters that have come through this building during that time.”

Both cousins celebrate their respective fortieth anniversary with the brewer this year and HEINEKEN Ireland is marking the double milestone as it prepares to celebrate its history on Leeside during Cork Heritage Open Day.