Diageo ‘should donate site to the people of Kilkenny’
Diageo should donate its St Francis Abbey Brewery site to the city of Kilkenny after brewing operations cease there at the end of 2013, local councillors say.
Cllr Joe Reidy (FF) made the proposal at Monday night’s meeting of Kilkenny Borough Council, where he compared the situation to the sale of Kilkenny Castle to the city for a nominal amount in 1967. “When the Butlers left Kilkenny, they gave us the castle for about a pound,” he noted.
And while the St Francis Abbey Brewery site would have been worth much more during the Celtic Tiger years, it would fetch a far smaller sum in the current climate – an amount that would be “only a pimple on the balance sheet of Diageo,” Cllr Reidy said.
“I think we should approach Diageo and ask them to donate that site to the people of Kilkenny,” Cllr Reidy said. “They made millions out of there and most of the families of Kilkenny have had somebody working there. It would be a great gesture to do that and it would make no difference to their balance sheet.”
The proposal was supported by Cllr John Coonan (FF), who said: “There is no reason why we should not be positive and pro-active, and engage to see about the possibility of Diageo finding it within themselves to give us the site.
“It might seem out of the ordinary, but out-of-the-ordinary things to come to be reality as well,” Cllr Coonan said.
Members agreed to include the suggestion in their proposal to seek consultation with the company about the future of the site and the compensation that will be paid to the workers who are losing their jobs.
Cllr Paul Cuddihy (FG) said, however: “We have to also remember that companies make millions and millions, but one of the reasons they do that is they don’t give things away for free.”
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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greenchile
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 09:36 AMOur cll'rs also should have taken the opportunity to contact C.E.O. Paul Walsh in the North American branch of Diageo,especially with St.Patricks Day upon us and put to him the coverage Diageo would get if his company donated the site hence have a long lasting name here in Kilkenny like the Butler one.It's amazing what can be done if you have the right people to take this on.I played golf with the C.E.O. of American Express in Las Companas and believe you me if these guys take to you out there on the course the deal is on the table.Think outside the box to approach this major Kilkeeny issue?
Bluesboyo
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:41 AMOur cllr's have to realise that it's all about the money for Diageo.If they can make a tenner off the sale of the site then that's what they'll do. I'm an ex worker and have seen them in action.
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