White Hag Master Brewer Joe Kearns with ‘Fleadh Ale’
Further to the banning of independent White Hag Brewery from the Fleadh in Sligo. after complaints by publicans and the Vintners’ federation of Ireland.
White Hag founder James Ward writes:
“Since we were turned down for our licence last week to run a Craft Beer Emporium over the Fleadh, we have had to devise a new route.
We’re launching our ‘Fleadh Ale’ a special one -off beer, to coincide with the hosting of the Fleadh in Sligo in 2014. The ’Fleadh Ale’, a Red IPA, will be launched this weekend 9th August in The Swagman, Sligo just ahead of the Fleadh opening.
It’s one-off batch and is priced the same as the rest, but we felt it was worth the coincidence of our launch and the Fleadh happening together.
Lillies, 5th on Teeling, Shoot the Crows and The Dail Bar are also hosting The White Hag’s ales and beers, which can be sampled throughout the Fleadh in Sligo. It’s a testament to the commitment of these pubs to supporting local business that they will take on our beers and ales and put us on their counters during the busiest week of the year.
For the first time in over 50 years Sligo will produce and distribute its own beers and ales, creating not just a unique collection of craft beer, but a brewery the people of the North West of Ireland will be proud of.
Regarding our licence application, it’s beyond belief that a small group of self-serving publicans can effectively prevent a new local business from benefiting in full from the exposure the Fleadh will bring to Sligo.
People across the country and worldwide are seeing a seismic shift in brewing, and in the beers customers want, but some publicans in Sligo are stuck in the past, and its simply not good enough for any group in any town to behave like this
Thanks also to Broadsheet for your support, And to the readers, we’ll give away our very mixed first crate, with a 4-pack of each of our 6 bottled beers. Simply give us the best excuse why you need this beer…”
Lines MUST close at 5.45pm 6.30pm
UPDATE: winner here
Previously: Just A Phase We’re Going Through
Thanks Bob Coggins
Cos the VFI haven’t gone away you know.
I need this beer because I like beer. I mean REALLY like beer. Especially new beer. And for me to drive to Sligo for new beer, given my penchant for beer, would just be irresponsible. You wouldn’t want me to be irresponsible would you? Of course you wouldn’t.
So, in summation… beer
All of what that guy said! I want in on this.
…..also, g’wan the White Hag!!!
because i’m a high functioning alcoholic
I need this beer because I have a fierce thirst on me altogether.
I need this beer because ang ang ang ang ang ang…..
I need this beer because I love beers from great little local breweries. I also gave the VFI socks on twitter because of their narrow mindedness when it came to your application.
But most of all, with a 4 year old and a 8 month old, I haven’t had a holiday yet this year. This beer will go a long way to feeling like I’m on holidays in the west while the waves of “daddy, daddy” and “bwah, bwah” wash over me like those on Strandhill.
Wow. Imagine if you could say that your job was “Master Brewer”.
Hipsters’ knees would go weak…
I need this beer as I’m having a BBQ this weekend and want to show my heino and probs drinking mates that craft beer is fab, and not just for beardy hipster types!
Yes. Have you ever taken a trip to Belgium? They wouldn’t even sniff at Heino/Carlsberg/Budweiser. They mostly have an endless variety of strong, tasty, different beers (or craft beers if you like). There, craft beers are mainstream. And it’s awesome.
You should go to Belgium.
Yeah, and a fraction of the cost in Ireland..
They’re the highest country on that chart for taxes –
https://www.broadsheet.ie/2014/08/06/second-cheapest/
We’re just taxed differently here.
I need these beers
To soak up the tears
That were caused by the crap
I’ve been drinking for years.
Because I’m from Sligo but live in Dublin
Oh I just realised this is a competition. Ok.
So, to put it briefly, several years ago, following a trip to the doctors I was told that I was hops deficient. It’s a rare disorder but one that can be cured with regular injections of ales, IPA’s and the like.
Most of the time I’m fine but usually around 4:45pm on a Thursday the first terrible signs of my deficiency start to rear their ugly heads. This can result in sweating, irritability, loss of speech, twitching and panicked, longing looks at the office clock.
So please, give all you can.
Thank you
I need this beer,
I need it because it’s only Thursday
I need it because even if it was Friday I have no money
I need it because while I have no money, I do still have debts
I need it because while I have debts, I have no beer
Unless I have this beer
I need this beer, any beer
I need this beer because I regularly host poker nights in my gaf and have been looking for a way to thank my guests for giving me their lovely tenners every third Friday. We’re all beer drinkers but some of them barley venture away from the better known brands so I would hops that bringing these lovely looking things to the table would broaden both their horizons and, I’m thinking long term here, The White Hag’s bank account.
Genuinely, I’d love this.
I need this beer because even as a fellow west of Ireland man I am convinced nothing good has come out of Sligo in years. This could change all that.
No need for an excuse. The reason is Mother Earth herself…
I don’t need this beer, I could quit craft beer any time I want.
Although…. it is thursday eve, basically the weekend, wait wait wait!
I do need this beer. I’ll cut down in winter.
Diddly eyed’ll da
I’m working at the Fleadh
Diddly eyed’ll doosic
I actually hate trad music
Translation : Sanity may be retained whilst supping on a cool ale
It’s holiday season and half my dept. is away, our largest customer’s platform went belly up due to a storage hardware failure and we have to recover a 2PB database, rebuild their analysis software and try and get the whole show running ASAP.
I’m on call this week, I go off call tomorrow morning, I haven’t slept properly for days, I will be having a beer or 3 this weekend, but I’d quite like to try something new and interesting.
Ah go on, please
I need this beer because I flippin love IPA…. Mmmmmm hoppy.
I need these because I’m 30 next week and I don’t normally drink. So if I’m going to imbibe I want it to be something special.
I need this beer as I made a complete mess of my last batch of home-brew (forgot to sterilise the bucket!).
Plus, I’m getting married shortly. I could do with a beer!
I need this beer ‘cos I’m roastin like a hop and the flea(dh)s are attacking me and I could do with couple a beers to cure what ales me
I need this beer so I can drink it all in one sitting and get absolutely ar$e faced and make a holy show of myself.
No need for an excuse. The reason is Mother Nature herself….
I need this beer because as a young child I discovered that, as a male, I was incapable of multitasking, and so can only support one vice at a time. I then and there decided that vice was alcohol, and have determined to expand my knowledge of and appreciation for all alcohols.
In later life, I was forced to live/work with a bunch of Swiss wine snobs who denigrated beers and said they cannot have the variety or complexity of wines, citing the Heinekens, Budweisers and Guinnesses of the world as cases in pint [sic].
I stood my ground bravely and was able to speak of the then budding Irish craft beers and the merits of IPAs (and why they are called India Pale Ales).
And so, in light of my life long devotion to, and appreciation of, beer, I would like to put my empty case forward, and take back your one filled with a mixed variety of loveliness for the weekend.
Besides, it’ll be feckin’ hot, and I’ll have a thirst on me! And I was a crap dancer at fleadhs.
I need this
beer to take
away the fear.
I like beer!!
And I really like beer that I have never tasted before!!
And no one sells decent Irish craft beer anywhere in the vicinity around the parts where I reside, so I very rarely get to sample any even when I really want to.
And I like beer!!
Because I want to get off with a chameleon witch…
Failing that, Mother Nature herself…
I need this beer because you look very sad in your picture with all your beer and it might cheer you up to give some of it a new and welcoming home.
I need this beer desperately as me hoor’s boot hath runneth dry.
I need this beer because my absolutely beer nuts future brother in law is coming over for my wedding in September and I need as fully stocked supply of Irish craft beers that I can lay my hands to impress him with. Also beer
I need this beer because I am Patric Swayze’s ghost and NO ONE puts White Hag Brewery in a corner !
I don’t drink by the way… so, I’m out.
I would like some beer cause I’d like to get drunk.
I really need this beer because my last batch of homebrew didn’t work out at all! It got contaminated somehow, and ended up being flat, overly sweet and otherwise pretty tasteless. You don’t know real sorrow unless you’ve poured 35 bottles of something that took you 4 weeks to make down the drain. A few bottles might help cheer me up.
RIP Shiftybrau #2
I need this beer because <>
I need this beer because Homer no function beer well without
Because it’s nearly time for the Angelus my 4 pack of Stoya is almost empty.
I’d be up in Sligo to try this beer, except for the fact I have to go to a Christening in Dublin… =/
G’wan Swagmans!
I really need this beer as I’ve tasted the most beers in Ireland (over 2,600 individual ones) and get schoolgirl excited about new Irish breweries!! Squeeeeeeeeeeee!
I need this beer because Ive never been to sligo and im sure this beer will be so good that I will sell up my overpriced shed in Dublin and move to sligo . Maybe I can get a job there selling this beer.
Eh…. what brought that puke?
I NEED this beer as I have never been to Sligo and
Can’t think of Mohammed/mountain reference because I NEED that beer!
I need this beer because as we all endure the tumult of our own lives, within the cacophony of the world’s incessant inhumane behaviour, behind the glow from screens that are now likely more numerate than (and comparable to) rodents spewing mindless marketing for insidious products , as we lose our youth and replace it with resigned cynicism, as we see dreams evaporate and nightmares materialise, there is one thing out there that can still bring us to a place of ponderous contentment, and that thing is a cold, well–crafted, delicious bottle of independent (non-corporate parasite) beer. Be that beer for me White Hag. BE IT.
I need to this beer because i need to be convinced that not all craft beer tastes like ass.
I need this beer because I have friends from Pittsburgh coming over for the American football in a few weeks, and I’ve been trying to find somewhere that sells their favourite generic Pittsburgh beer (Iron City Beer). And I’ve failed. So, if I can’t get them some piss-poor-Pittsburgh-pilsner, the only way to top it is to give them some independent-iridescent-Irish-IPA. Because my friends love alliteration. Football, beer and alliteration…
I need this beer because a think a limited edition hangover mightn’t be as bad as an normal hangover.
I need this beer because it’ll make you sexy. :)
I need this beer because I got 99 problems and beer solves all of um.
I need this beer because I don’t think enough wimmins appreciate craft beer and I think I might appreciate it.
I need this beer because as we all endure the tumult of our own lives, within the cacophony of the world’s incessant inhumane behaviour, behind the glow from screens that are now likely more numerate than (and comparable to) rodents spewing mindless marketing for insidious products , as we lose our youth and replace it with resigned cynicism, as we see dreams evaporate and nightmares materialise, there is one thing out there that can still bring us to a place of ponderous contentment, and that thing is a cold, well–crafted, delicious bottle of independent (non-corporate parasite) beer. Be that beer for me White Hag. BE IT.
Why didn’t this guy win?
No tv and no beer makes Homer something something…
Not being able to go to Sligo to sample it, means I’ll have to win this to get a chance to try it. Help me out please!
Im organizing a trans-atlantic wedding which takes place in Ireland in 5 weeks. If you have nothing stronger the beer will do!
….I would love this beer but I know I’ve gone past the deadline because I was enjoying reading all the comments…..but….if I was a judge I’d be torn between @thefatlad and@jon (who made the effort to attempt some verse).
Hope White Hag sell out and fupp Diageo and VFI.
Be careful the big companies who sell alcoholic water will not be happy.
There must be about a million names that would be better than “White Hag”.
One of them is ‘The White Hag’
Well done and the best of luck but a lot of ‘craft’ brewers need to look at their pricing.
Guaranteed to help me get a fla……
Thanks