Pearse Lyons Whiskey Distillery

We find this distillery fairly close to the accommodation, and the fact it was inside an old church intrigued us. We get a video history of the church, before getting a tour of the church yard, church and finally a tasting.

St. James’ Church dates back to the 12th century. The present church was constructed in 1859–1860 in a Gothic design with a cross shape, a tower and a spire at the southwest corner. In 1948, the top 30 feet of the church spire was removed due to structural problems, after it was hit by lightening. The church was deconsecrated and used for several things, but fell into disrepair.

Finally in 2013, Pearse Lyons an Irish entrepreneur and his wife Diedre, who had been running a bourbon distillery in Kentucky, returned to Dublin to renovate the church into a whiskey distillery. They replaced the missing spire with a glass one that lights up at night, and opened their doors in 2017. The brought two small batch copper stools with them from Kentucky. They have been christened Mighty Molly and Little Lizzie in honour of the Lyons family’s distant relatives.

We get a tasting of three of their whiskeys, as well as a gin produced for them.Read more