26/03/2026
FONDLY REMEMBERING ALEX LAWES 💙
1988-2026
(Pictured, Alex at the helm on a SID cruise last summer)
Sailing in Dublin Club has lost a cherished member, Alex Lawes, who passed away on 22 March 2026. Alex was a current member. I only knew Alex in passing, however he and I had a lot in common. We both had an interest and probably a love of sailing, and more importantly we both shared a passion for brewing our own beers. Alex was the co-founder of the Dublin brewery Whiplash and Dublin bar Fidelity . Needless to say he started his brewing career by experimentation as most brewers generally do. They teach you that brewing is a science, however as every brewer will tell you, very often you practice your craft as an art, as the science bit doesn’t always work out the way you think is should.
I would like to think that Alex is in a better place, where the music is merry, the beer flows freely (probably his own), and he is looking out at a sunset with the soft sound of sails fluttering in the background.
“The Brewer’s Final Shift” — a poem about a life well-poured:
The mash is set, the kettle’s cold,
The final story has been told.
No more to craft the amber grain,
Through summer heat or winter rain.
He knew the magic, hops and yeast,
To make a brew, a humble feast.
He filled our glasses, filled our days,
With honest work and gentle ways.
So raise a pint of best bitter,
And let the silent tears be bitter-sweet.
The keg is tapped, the cellar closed,
The Brewer rests in soft repose.
The brew is done, the master sleeps,
While memory of his craft we keep.
Ar Dheis De go raibh a n-anamacha,
Dermot Avery
SID Commodore / Chairperson
