The Tyrconnell

Originally, Andrew Watt was a horse breeder. One of them, Tyre O’Connells, won against all expectations a prestigious race and made his owner a millionaire. Andrew Watt named his whiskey after the winner: Tyrconnell.

Extremely popular in the United States at the beginning of the century, Tyrconnell Whiskey has been directly hit by the prohibition movement from 1919 onwards. A few years ago, The Tyrconnell was revived, to epitomize today the originality and Irish independent spirit. Built in 1987 by John Teeling, the Cooley distillery in Dundalk, County Louth, includes a traditional section built in the Scottish style.

The Cooley distillery produces Single Malts, and chiefly Connemara, a Single Malt with wonderfully blended peat and plum aromas. Connemara has become one of the most enjoyed whiskeys in Ireland. In spite of its young age, the Cooley distillery offers a broad range of blends and Single malts.

The Irish whiskeys produced range from light blends such as Inishowen, Millar’s to Connemara, a unique peated Single malt. Most of the maturation facilities and a part of the Cooley’s warehouses are located in Locke’s (Kilbeggan).

The Cooley distillery revives a lost tradition, that of peat! In Connemara whiskeys, the vegetal edge of the peat is much more apparent than the peat smoke, such as in Islay spirits.

These traditional distillation methods associated with natural ingredients and long years of maturation in oak casks, help create an exceptional whiskey. End of 2011, the Cooley distillery has changed owner and been purchased by the American group Jim Beam (also owner of the Laphroaig distillery).