Boatyard Distillery is Fermanagh’s first legal distillery since the 1890s, working out of a former boat-building yard on the shore of Lower Lough Erne. Joe McGirr, a Fermanagh man back from a decade in Scotland and London, took on the derelict boathouse in 2013 and sold the first bottle of Boatyard Double Gin in 2016. The American Bar at The Savoy was one of the first places abroad to stock it, and in 2023 the distillery became the first in Ireland to earn B Corp certification, with a B Impact Score of 92.1.
The tour
The standard Taste & Tour runs 90 minutes and starts with a gin and tonic at the lakeside bar, which sets the tone. From there it’s a walk through the working distillery – the copper stills, the fermentation tanks, and the repurposed milking-parlour jars the spirit is stored in, a detail that tells you something about how the place was built. You finish with a tasting of the full range (Double Gin, Old Tom Gin and the vodka) plus two cocktails. If you only do one thing here, this is it.
You can label your own 70cl bottle to take home, which goes down well with groups, and private tours take up to 80 guests for hen parties, celebrations or corporate days. One thing to know before you book: tours are adults only, 18 and over, because of the tasting – this is not a family outing. At £55 a head it isn’t cheap either, though the promo code below takes the sting out of it.
The spirits themselves lean on sweet-gale (bog myrtle) foraged on the McGirr family bogs, with an organic wheat base from a local farm. The brand has the medals to back the gin up: Gin Category Champion at the 2025 Bartenders’ Brand Awards, number two trending gin brand in Drinks International’s 2025 list, Sustainable Spirits Product of the Year at the 2024 Global Drinks Intel ESG Awards, and multiple golds at the International Wine & Spirit Competition for the Double Gin and Old Tom.
The spirits cruise
The Hidden Heartlands Spirits Cruise is the alternative to the standard tour: a 90-minute guided trip on Lough Erne aboard The Kestrel, with a tasting on board. It carries 40 guests at £98 per person and includes the cruise, a gin tasting, three cocktails, a personalised 70cl bottle and some light bites. It only runs on select Fridays in spring and autumn – 2026 dates are 17 April, 1 May, 22 May and 18 September – so it needs planning around.
The label
The labels reward a closer look. The pair of Massey Ferguson tractors nod to the McGirr family’s farming background, the intertwined boating knots stand for the Lough Erne waterways that connect the Lakelands to the Atlantic and the Shannon, and the stems of sweet-gale mark the botanical that defines the gin.
How it’s made
The sustainability is more than a label claim, and it’s part of why the B Corp badge stuck. Spent grain goes to the family cattle, juniper waste is turned into soap and chocolate, and reclaimed dairy-parlour jars hold the gin. Bottles are recycled flint glass, packed in Flexi-Hex made from 100% recycled material with no trees felled. The Eco-Refill Station in the shop lets you bring back any empty 70cl bottle and top it up with your chosen spirit, cutting the glass out entirely.
Live at the Still
The distillery runs a Live at the Still programme of folk sessions, small concerts and storytelling evenings in the visitor centre, usually Fridays from 6pm to 8pm over the summer. Seasonal special-edition gins tend to be announced at these. Check the website’s events calendar for dates before you travel.
Booking and offers
Tours run five days a week and book online through the official booking page. The code HeartlandsBoat10 takes 10% off bookings made before 30 April 2026, bringing the standard tour from £55 to £49.50. Groups of 15 or more can arrange bespoke catering.
Practical information
Opening hours
| Service | Monday-Friday | Saturday-Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| Distillery Tours | 11:00 & 14:00 (Wed-Fri) | 12:00 & 15:30 |
| Shop & Eco Refill | 09:00-17:00 | By appointment (tours pre-booked) |
Admission – £55 per person for the standard 90-minute tour, or £49.50 with the promo code. Adults only (18+).
Getting there
- Address: 346 Lough Shore Road, Enniskillen, BT93 7DX.
- Coordinates: 54.4475402, -7.7938174 – see it on Google Maps.
- Free on-site car park.
- You can also arrive by boat: dock at Tully Bay Marina (signposted for The Boatyard Distillery) and walk the short, signposted path to the visitor centre.
- The visitor centre is wheelchair-accessible, with level entry and accessible toilets.
- Free Wi-Fi in the shop and visitor lounge.
Contact
- Phone: +44 (0) 7732 959 859
- Email: tours@boatyarddistillery.com
- Website: https://www.boatyarddistillery.com/
Nearby
- Marble Arch Caves (about 2 miles) – limestone caves in the Cuilcagh Geopark.
- Cliffs of Magho walk (about 2.5 miles) – cliff-top trails with long views over the lake.
- Devenish Island – monastic site on Lough Erne, reached by a short ferry.
- Castle Archdale Country Park – lakeside park with water sports, trails and a wartime museum.
- Castle Balfour – 17th-century fortified house a short drive away.
- Crom Castle – historic estate with gardens.
If you’re touring this corner of Fermanagh by water, the boat arrival is the better way in: tie up at Tully Bay and walk the last few minutes rather than driving the Lough Shore Road.