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Arthur's Day - "a Celebration of Substance"
by Bridget Haggerty

All around the world, starting at 17.59 GMT on September 23rd, Guinness fans celebrate the remarkable life and legacy of "Uncle Arthur" - Sir Arthur Guinness, entrepreneur, visionary, philanthropist and the founder of the world-famous brewery.

He was born in Celbridge, County Kildare in 1725 and it seems that Arthur first learned the art of brewing from his father Richard, whose job as a land steward included brewing beer for workers on the estate of Dr. Arthur Price, later Archbishop of Cashel.

In 1759, at the age of 34, Arthur Guinness signed a 9000-year lease for the St. James's Gate Brewery, Dublin, at an annual rent of £45. The brewery was only four acres in size, disused, and had little brewing equipment. But in just 10 years, despite competition from imported English beers, Arthur began to export his beer to England. By the 1830s, St. James's Gate Brewery was the largest brewery in Ireland. and by 1914 was the largest in the world, covering 64 acres. Although no longer the largest brewery on the planet, it is still the biggest brewer of stout. It’s a remarkable legacy and the reason that in 2009, the company created a special Arthur's Day to mark the 250th anniversary of when the lease on St. Jame’s Gate was signed. During the inaugutral event, thousands of fans across every continent enjoyed over 60 live music acts while raising millions of pints of Guinness in a “celebration with substance”.

Guinness marketing manager John Burns said he believed a similar number of people would attend this year’s event and that one of the reasons for a repeat of Arthur’s Day was because of the unique opportunity it gave for the brand to engage with customers and encourage converts to the black stuff. "This is not about selling pints of Guinness on September 23 - the cost of all the events and advertising will far exceed whatever sales are made."

As for the events: In Ireland, fans will be able to enjoy the celebration at over 30 venues across Dublin, Cork and Galway from intimate gigs in pubs to music venues and a concert at the St. James’s Gate brewery itself.

In the United States Arthur’s Day celebrations will kick off with a “To Arthur” group toast with approximately 10,000 fans at the Guinness Oysterfest in Chicago. Celebrations will also take place across the country where fans will come together to raise a Guiness “To Arthur.”

In Kuala Lumpur, fans can expect an electrifying night of live music performances to take centre stage – all in a massive tribute to everyone’s favorite uncle and their favorite brew! And in the Caribbean, consumers will have the chance to attend Arthur’s Day concerts across the region.

Proceeds from all Arthur’s Day ticket sales will be donated to the Arthur Guinness Fund. The Arthur Guinness Fund in Ireland supports social entrepreneurs from across the country. These social entrepreneurs cover a diverse range of interests, each making a significant difference to local communities, primarily in Ireland and also abroad. The Arthur Guinness Fund is designed as a springboard to enable social entrepreneurs to take their initiatives to the next level, and further expand their vision for making a real difference to the people around them. For more information on the fund and on Arthur's Day in Ireland and around the world, please visit Guinness.

In summary, Brian Duffy, Global Brand Director for Guinness, is quoted as saying “Arthur’s Day is once again going to be a global ‘celebration with substance’ that will see performances from some fantastic acts and musicians across the globe. These world renowned performers will transform venues of all sizes into truly global celebrations where consumers will unite and raise a Guinness “To Arthur” and to the next 250 years.”
Indeed.

Photo Credits:
Chicago Oyster Fest - Chicago Reader
St. James Gate - brewery - Watoday
Sources:
Guinness

Girl from the hills blog

Irish Post

Tourism Ireland