Alex Lawes, co-founder of popular Dublin brewery and bar, dies

Very sad news.

Located in Smithfield, close to Dublin city centre, Fidelity announced the news of Alex's passing on Wednesday (25 March) in a statement.

The bar wrote: "It is with profound sadness that we are communicating the passing of Alex Lawes, co-founder of both Whiplash and Fidelity.

"Alex was, and still is, part of the heart of both businesses. He was infectious, brilliantly funny and a genius in all senses of the word. He was our friend.

"Alex’s magnetic personality touched so many people across the globe, and in so many communities here in Dublin, so we will digest this news over the course of the next few weeks and understand how we can honour the man that gave us so many smiles and good times.

"Cherish every memory shared with him. With love, Alan, Dave, Steve and all the team."

A homebrewer who grew up in Inchicore, Alex co-founded Whiplash in 2016, alongside operations manager Alan Wolfe.

Though it began as a weekend project, making one-off beers, the pair were running Whiplash full-time by the end of 2017 to keep up with the demand.

After brewing at facilities across Ireland and Europe, in 2019, Whiplash announced it was building its own custom-designed brewery in the Dublin suburb of Ballyfermot.

In December 2022, Whiplash also opened its bar, Fidelity, on Queen Street in Dublin's Smithfield area.

Set up in collaboration with The Big Romance, Fidelity is renowned for its custom-designed sound system and its curated selection of craft beers.

Earlier this month, The New York Times published a feature about Dublin's pub scene that included quotes from Alex.