Arthur Guinness Turns 300 Next Week - Raise a Glass or Tune In with the Kildare Amateur Radio Club!

Next week, Ireland raises a glass to one of its most iconic sons: Arthur Guinness! Born in County Kildare in 1725, the brewer behind the black pint would be celebrating his 300th birthday on the 24th of September, a fine excuse, if ever one were needed, to savour a properly poured pint and trace the story that began along the Liffey and changed the taste of Dublin forever. 

And if you can’t be there in person, there’s a wonderfully Irish workaround. The Kildare Amateur Radio Club invites anyone who cannot visit Arthur’s birthplace to meet them on the airwaves.

To mark the tercentenary, the club will activate special event station EI0K across various HF bands from 19–21 September 2025, issuing commemorative QSL cards and inviting contacts from around the world.

The Classic Toast - Have the Pint!

If you’re celebrating in Dublin, the Guinness Storehouse remains the definitive stage for the birthday toast. Over seven floors, you’ll walk through the grain-to-glass story before emerging in the Gravity Bar with a sweep of city skyline and a pint included in standard admission. Pre-booking is essential at this time of year. 

Prefer something a little different? The nearby Open Gate Brewery is the brand’s experimental taproom with small-batch pours and limited releases.

Follow in Arthur’s footsteps in Kildare

To really root the celebration in place, head west for Arthur’s Way, a gentle 16 km heritage trail that links Arthur’s childhood in Celbridge with his early brewing in Leixlip and, finally, his resting place at Oughterard. It’s a nice walk beside canal and village. While you’re there, keep an eye out for the statue of Arthur in Celbridge - an unmissable nod to the town’s most famous son and a neat photo-op to mark the 300th!

Can’t get to Dublin or Kildare? Meet the Kildare Amateur Radio Club on the Airwaves!

If this birthday finds you beyond Ireland’s shores - or simply beyond the pub - the Kildare Amateur Radio Club has made space for you, literally, on the air with a special event station EI0K live from the 19th-21st of September.

During the event, club members will operate on various HF bands, inviting amateur radio enthusiasts from around the world to connect, exchange greetings, and join in recognising one of Ireland’s most iconic figures. Special QSL cards will be issued to participating stations, making the celebration an engaging experience for both operators and collectors, and strengthening the sense of community in the global amateur radio network.

For more information on the event, visit kildarearc.com.

Celebrate Arthur Guinness’s 300th birthday in every way that suits you - raise a pint at the Guinness Storehouse or Open Gate Brewery, wander the heritage trail of Arthur’s Way in Kildare, or join the Kildare Amateur Radio Club as they bring the celebration to the airwaves. 

From local to global, a toast, a walk, or a call on the air connects everyone to the legacy of Ireland’s most famous brewer. Sláinte to a life that continues to inspire celebration, creativity, and connection.