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From shortly after its founding in Dublin in 1759, the Guinness Brewery Company has shipped beer in various forms (lager, ale, porter, and stout) to thirsty consumers in England. For many years the barrels were transported in commercial vessels. In 1913, a labor strike effectively shut down the port of Dublin. Guinness quickly purchased its own ship, the SS W.M. Barkley, and resumed shipments from another port. During World War I, the ship was requisitioned by British Admiralty. On 12 October 1917, it was hit by a German torpedo and sank off Kish, Ireland, with a loss of five crew members. By then, though, Guinness had acquired three other steamships, Carrowdore, Clareisland, and Clarecastle, to slack the English thirst. In 1931, the company received its first purpose-built ship, the SS Guinness. The Guinness carried product in transportable tanks of aluminum or stainless steel. The tanks each held in excess of 500 gallons and were placed in temperature-controlled cargo holds. The first motorized beer carrier was the MV Lady Grania, built in 1952. It had two large holds for carrying transportable tanks, an after-hold for barrel tanks, and a fore-hold for hogsheads. In 1971, the main holds were fitted with special tankers into which the beer was pumped directly. The MV Lady Gwendolen followed in 1953 and then the MV Lady Patricia in 1962. The main cargo holds in the Lady Patricia was converted in 1971 into true refrigerated tanks, making the ship the world’s first beer tanker. In 1977, the Lady Patricia was joined by the Miranda Guinness, purpose built as a beer tanker. Until sold in 1993, the tanker made twice weekly runs between Dublin and Manchester. That year, Guinness exited the ship owning business. Subsequently, the company’s Dublin product has been transported via shipping containers and tank trucks on ro-ro ferries.
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http://www.maritimeprofessional.com/Blogs/Maritime-Musings/April-2013/Guinness-fleet.aspx
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