Taoiseach Enda Kenny opened the distillery on October 9th, 2015. The Connacht Whiskey Distillery is situated at a former Duffy‘s Bakery on the banks of the Moy in Belleek, Ballina Co. Mayo. It has been the first legal distillery in the West of Ireland which was opened for hundred years.

David Stapleton and four more people are in the management. His partners are mainly based in the U.S. Among them is a former chairperson of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Centre and Tom Jensen, former CEO of Remy Cointreau.

The distillery will produce gin first and a vodka second and later also whiskey spirit. The production water will be drawn from the Lochs Conn and Oullin. There are three traditional pot stills to distil pure Irish Pot Still Whiskey. They were designed by Master Distiller Robert Cassell

Target production will be 70,000 cases of whiskey per year.

The investment was €10m.

There is a visitor centre.

Master Distiller: Robert Cassell (2015)

Chief Operations Officer: David Stapleton

Distillery Manager: John Park

Please double-click and thumbnail the photo to open the tour. Thank you.

More photos to come.