John Smithwick's great-grandson Edmond bought the brewery land back freehold and worked to reshape its future.

Drinkers in England, Scotland and Wales developed a taste for Smithwick's brews and output increased fivefold.

As a result of substantial contributions made to St Mary's Cathedral, Edmond became great friends with Irish liberal Daniel O'Connell, who later became godfather to one of his sons.

Edmond Smithwick became well known and respected by the people of Kilkenny,[citation needed] who elected him town mayor four times.

To combat this, the Smithwick family increased production in their maltings, began selling mineral water and delivered butter with the ale from the back of their drays.

By 1900, output was at an all-time low and the then owner James Smithwick was advised by auditors to shut the doors of the brewery.

James' son, Walter, took control in 1930 and steered the brewery to success through the hardships of both World War II and increasingly challenging weather conditions.

Judge Peter Smithwick (born 1937) is an Irish judge, and chairman and sole member of the Smithwick Tribunal, a Tribunal of Inquiry into the events surrounding the killing of Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Robert Buchanan of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC).

His daughter Georgina is a technology entrepreneur, named by Sunday Times as one of the Top 100 Innovators in Great Britain.