Brewing the Past in the Present

Brewing Power: Food and Drink in Sixteenth-Century Ireland

(This event is part of an interactive public lecture series at Dublin Castle)

Dublin Castle is delighted to present a six-part public lecture series exploring how food and drink shaped everyday life, social relationships and authority in sixteenth-century Ireland. The series draws on new research conducted by the FoodCult project, led by Trinity historian Dr Susan Flavin, and moves between the kitchens of Dublin Castle and the reconstructed Tudor brew houses combining history, science, archaeology, craft and film.

Brewing the Past in the Present.

What happens when historical research moves into a working brewery?

In this talk, brewer Maurice Deasy reflects on the experience of developing a sixteenth-century beer within a farmhouse brewery using Irish-grown heritage grain and hops, malted on site. Building on earlier experimental work with historians, the project shifted from controlled reconstruction into sustained brewing practice.

The lecture explores what changes when historians and brewers work together over time, what such collaboration makes possible, and where its limits lie. It considers what this process reveals about flavour, craft skill and sustainability, and how historical research can continue to inform brewing in the present. The session concludes with a guided tasting that allows audiences to connect research with contemporary practice.

Link to the film Drunk? Adventures in Sixteenth-Century Brewing:
https://vimeo.com/864341037/f0527aecdd

Date: Saturday, 21st February, 2026

Time: 7 pm – 8.30 pm (Doors open at 6.45 pm)

Location: George’s Hall, The State Apartments, Dublin Castle Upper Yard

Adults (18+)

Tickets: €7 (plus booking fee)

Susan Flavin - Associate Professor of History, Trinity College Dublin; Principal Investigator, FoodCult

Maurice Deasy - Founder and Head Brewer, Canvas Brewing (County Tipperary)

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Host or Publisher Dublin Castle, OPW