The means of carbonating water was discovered and the first soda water manufactured in the late 18th century. These early aerated waters were still consumed for medicinal purposes and were often manufactured and sold by apothecaries such as Dr. Patrick Connor, who was manufacturing lemonade and soda water from his premises in Hill Street as far back as the 1830s.
The growth of the temperance movement in the mid 19th century increased the demand for non alcoholic beverages and temperance groups, hotels and restaurants were established in the local area.
What would become the Newry Mineral Water Company was established in 1871 by a number of enterprising merchants of the town, including Dr. Samuel Connor, Patrick’s nephew. The company traded initially as the Newry Steam Aerated Water Company, becoming Newry Mineral Water Company around 1877.
In October 1877 representatives of the industry from Belfast and Dublin were invited to the factory to view the new machinery, capable of bottling and corking around 200 dozen bottles an hour. An article in the Belfast Newsletter in October 1877 covered the visit and described the machinery as being “of a more advanced order than in any other town”. This labour saving, steam-driven machinery was designed by one of the company directors Mr. Allan Macdonnell (sic). Dr. Samuel Connor, another director, controlled the preparation of syrups used in the beverages. His knowledge of chemistry affording “the best guarantee that the ingredients used . . . are carefully selected and prepared according to the most approved formulas”.
The water was “procured from a great depth from the primitive rock” on the Downshire Road site, and was said to be “free from all leaden or other impurities”. It was claimed that the quality of the water together with the care taken in the preparation of the beverages resulted in products that kept sound in all climates, making them especially suited for export. Their range of drinks included Lemonade, Ginger Beer and Ale, Sarsaparilla, Champagne Cider, Quinine and Fruit Beverages, Soda, Kali and Seltzer Waters.
Newry Mineral Water Company bottles were embossed both around the neck and at the base with the company name and motto “Nil Desperandum”, (no cause for despair). Empty bottles were returned from local businesses and also via the Bottle Exchange, which collected empties and returned them to their factories of origin. In 1899 around six and a half thousand bottles a month were being returned via the Bottle Exchange. Employees were under strict orders not to use bottles from other companies, as this could result in a prosecution under the Merchandise Marks Act, 1887.
In July 1940 the business was taken over by Messers P. Murphy and Sons, mineral water manufacturers from Ballymena. In 1956 the company was acquired by Mr. R.G. Garland of C. Boden, wholesale bottlers in Water Street who ran the business until the late 1970s.
The Museum is currently offering free tours of the main exhibition galleries on Wednesdays at 2.00 pm. These must be booked in advance by calling our Education Officer at 0330 137 4422.
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Photograph of the former premises of the Newry Mineral Water Company taken in 1978. Courtesy of William McAlpine Photo: x
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Newry Mineral Water Company Lemonade bottle label from 1907. Newry and Mourne Museum Collection Photo: x