Heineken Ireland posted a 4 per cent rise in turnover to €309 million last year, copperfastening its position as the Republic's favourite lager, amid a downturn in overall beer sales.
The Dutch group's market share increased to 18.6 per cent from 18.4 per cent, even as demand for beer slipped 1.7 per cent.
But sales of its Murphy's Irish Stout brand remained flat outside of the core Cork market, where its share rose by a point to 32 per cent.
Mr Michael van der Poel, Irish marketing director, attributed Heineken's strong performance to the standard of the product, which is brewed at Lady's Well Brewery in Cork, and to high brand awareness.
Attributing blame for the declining beer market largely to the cooling economy, Mr van der Poel rejected suggestions that the growing popularity of speciality brews had dampened demand for longer-established products, insisting sales of newer beers remained negligible.
But he predicted further softening over coming months. "The Irish beer market is likely to face another tough year with the market indicating signs of further decline," he said.
Heineken's share of the core lager sector grew by 0.6 of a percentage point to 30.7 per cent in 2002. Draught sales rose by a point to 37 per cent of the market. The Coors Light brand captured a further 5 per cent of on-trade bottled beer sales.
Demand for Heineken was strongest in Dublin and the south-east, although market share increased in five of six sales regions.
The group - the world's fourth-largest brewer - reported an 11.2 per cent increase in net profit from ordinary operations to €795 million last year and forecast further growth this year on hopes new acquisitions would lift the distribution of its beers.
Worldwide sales rose by 10 per cent to €10.293 billion, while group volume, including that of affiliated companies, rose to 108.9 million hectolitres from 105.1 million in 2001.
In 2002, Heineken made several acquisitions that contributed to profits but earnings were also helped by a strong sales increase in the US and Poland, which offset weak turnover growth in most of Europe due to unfavourable summer weather.
This year it bought a 50 per cent stake in IRSA, which owns Chilean brewer CCU, and a nearly 70 per cent share in Croatian brewer Karlovacka Pivovara.
Heineken employs 470 at its Cork headquarters and regional operations, and a further 225 in subsidiary and joint-venture enterprises.
