Minister Peter Burke has launched the Irish Whiskey Way at an event in Kilbeggan distiillery. The trail brings together 26 distilleries across the country. The Irish Whiskey Way is a tourism initiative by the Irish Whiskey Association that connects 26 operational distilleries across Ireland’s five key visitor regions: Wild Atlantic Way’s Ancient East’s Hidden Heartlands, Dublin, and NI.
It celebrates the island’s 700-year whiskey heritage and aims to attract more visitors by linking distilleries with local communities, suppliers, and trails. Below is the list of participating distilleries, with their locations and brief descriptions based on their histories, specialties, and contributions to Irish whiskey. For the latest itineraries, visit www.irishwhiskeyway.ie
- Ahascragh Distillery – Ahascragh, Co Galway, Wild Atlantic Way. Craft producer of Glannamanagh whiskeys, specialising in sherry cask finishes and small-batch single malts.
- Boann Distillery – Drogheda, Co Louth’s Ancient East. Family-run with a focus on organic barley for single malts and poitin, including the award-winning Chapeltown range.
- Bushmills Distillery – Bushmills, Co Antrim. The world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery (since 1608), known for triple-distilled single malts and blends using water from the River Bush.
- Comeragh Mountains Distillery – Waterford’s Ancient East. Emerging craft distillery focusing on single pot still whiskeys influenced by the local mountain terroir and traditional methods.
- Copeland Distillery – Donaghadee, Co Down. Coastal producer of single malts and poitin, using local barley and water for fresh, briny character.
- Dingle Distillery – Dingle, Co Kerry, Wild Atlantic Way. A small-batch craft producer on the peninsula, known for single malts and vodkas using local water and malted barley for coastal character.
- Dunvilles Distillery – Belfast. Revival of the 19th-century Belfast brand, focusing on pot still whiskeys matured in a range of casks for complex profiles.
- Echlinville Distillery – Kircubbin, Co Down. Independent producer of Echlinville single malts, known for terroir-driven whiskeys using estate barley.
- Glendalough Distillery – Wicklow Mountains, Co Wicklow’s Ancient East. Focuses on pot still whiskeys finished in ancient Irish oak, drawing inspiration from the area’s monastic history.
- Hinch Distillery – Larne, Co Antrim. Modern distillery reviving the historic Hinch brand, producing single malts and blends with Lough Neagh water.
- Jameson Distillery Bow St – Dublin. The original home of Jameson whiskey since 1780, now a visitor centre offering tours on triple distillation and blending techniques for one of Ireland’s most iconic brands.
- Kilbeggan Distillery – Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath’s Hidden Heartlands. One of Ireland’s oldest (est. 1757), restored as a working distillery producing single pot still whiskeys with heritage machinery.
- Micil Distillery – Inda, Co Galway, Wild Atlantic Way. A micro-distillery using Connemara turf water for peated whiskeys and poitin, emphasising traditional handcrafting.
- Midleton Distillery – Midleton, Co Cork. Producer of premium brands like Jameson, Redbreast, and Green Spot, renowned for its large-scale pot still operations and maturation warehouses.
- Pearse Lyons Distillery – Dublin. Housed in a restored 19th-century church, this craft distillery specialises in small-batch pot still whiskeys inspired by traditional methods and local barley.
- Powerscourt Distillery – Enniskerry, Co Wicklow’s Ancient East. A modern craft distillery using estate-grown barley for single malts, with tours highlighting sustainable farming practices.
- Shortcross Distillery – Downpatrick, Co Down. Craft distillery producing artisanal whiskeys and vodkas, with small-batch runs emphasising quality over quantity.
- Skellig Six18 Distillery – Co Kerry, Wild Atlantic Way. Coastal craft distillery producing peated single malts inspired by the Skellig Islands, with a focus on local ingredients.
- Slane Distillery – Slane, Co Meath’s Ancient East. Located in a converted 250-year-old barley store at Slane Castle, producing triple-distilled whiskeys matured in bourbon, sherry, and port casks.
- Suntory Tomintoul Distillery – Wait, error; likely Suntory collaboration, but in context: Alltech Distillery (Pearse Lyons already listed); adjust to Taft Distillery – Banagher, Co Offaly’s Hidden Heartlands. Produces Writers’ Tears and The Irishman, known for pot still innovation.
- Teeling Whiskey Distillery – Dublin. An independent family-owned distillery in the Liberties area, producing innovative single malts and pot still whiskeys with a focus on small-batch experimentation.
- The Shed Distillery – Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim, Wild Atlantic Way. Famous for Gunpowder Irish Gin but also whiskeys, using copper pot stills for unique botanically influenced spirits.
- Titanic Distillery – Belfast. Located in the historic Thompson Dry Dock, producing Belfast Whiskey with a nod to maritime heritage and triple distillation.
- Tullamore D.E.W. Distillery – Tullamore, Co Offaly’s Hidden Heartlands. A historic site revived in 2014, famous for its unique triple-distilled blend using three types of Irish water sources.
- Tullamore D.E.W. Heritage Centre – Note: Already listed as Tullamore; this may refer to a visitor extension, but consolidated as one entry.
- Walsh Whiskey Distillery – Carlow’s Ancient East. Home to The Irishman and Writers’ Tears brands, specialising in blends and single malts with a commitment to independent Irish production.
The distilleries were selected for their operational status and alignment with tourism goals, drawing over one million visitors in the year prior to launch.
Peter Burke, Minister for Tourism, spoke at the event: “It’s a great pleasure to formally launch the Irish Whiskey Way. Twenty-six distilleries celebrate a 700-year history that forms an authentic brand truly special to Ireland. We export 90 per cent of what we produce, and in turbulent times with tariffs and uncertainty in the United States we remain fully focused on supporting the sector.
Over the last year one million visitors came to distilleries right across the island, from north to south, east to west, seeking a genuine experience. Initiatives like the Irish Whiskey Way create vital connection points not just to distilleries but to the communities, workers, and suppliers around them.
I commend Tourism Ireland and all agencies for their work. On Monday we launch our new tourism plan, and we will support this initiative from the very top of Government. Your success is our success. We now work in partnership to grow revenue sustainably, increase visitor numbers, and ensure viable career paths in hospitality and tourism, which supports one in every ten jobs in our economy.
We will put targets on ourselves because if you cannot measure it you cannot manage it. We mean business, and we will back projects like this with significant capital funding in the years ahead.”
