THERE are significant growth opportunities in the Irish low alcohol beer market, according to Mr Liam Meaney, managing director of Tennents Ireland.

Low alcohol beer sales are only worth around £6.3 million a year, from a total lager market of £273 million.

Mr Meaney said some people could drink up to 15 pints of low alcohol lager before getting anywhere near the legal blood alcohol limit.

"We believe that if consumers were aware of the facts there would be a greatly increased demand for low alcohol beers and lagers in this country," the managing director said yesterday.

Tennents has launched bottled Tennent's LA, its low alcohol beer.

Its parent company, Bass, recently expanded with investment of over £1 million in new bottling lines at its Glen Road brewery in Antrim.