CAMRA was founded in the most Westerly pub in Europe - Kruger's Bar in Dunquin, Co Kerry, when four young men from the north west of England, Michael Hardman, Graham Lees, Bill Mellor and Jim Makin were on holiday. Fed up the increasing bad quality of beer in Britain that was too fizzy, no character and no taste they decided to form a Campaign for the Revitalisation of Ale.
A year after the founding the first AGM was held at The Rose Inn, Nuneaton; and membership started to grow. Articles by the late Richard Boston in the Guardian (Boston on Beer) boosted membership when Richard happened to mention the fledgling organisation CAMRA.
In 1973 to make the Campaign's name easier to say it was changed to the Campaign for Real Ale.