Cooley Distillery – Ireland’s Trailblazing Whiskey Hub

Overview

Set against the limestone foothills of the Cooley Mountains, Cooley Distillery is the engine behind the modern Irish whiskey revival. Established in 1987 by entrepreneur John Teeling, the site transformed a decommissioned state-run potato spirit plant into Ireland’s first independent whiskey distillery in more than a century. Today, owned by Suntory Global Spirits, it operates as a highly efficient production hub while preserving a distinctly Irish approach to spirit-making: bold, double-distilled, and unapologetically peated.

Because the working distillery in Riverstown remains a private, industrial production facility, there are no public tours or visitor facilities on-site. Visitors interested in the heritage and distillation process of Cooley’s brands (like Connemara and Tyrconnell) are directed to the visitor experience at its sister distillery, the historic Kilbeggan Distillery in County Westmeath.

History & The Revival

In the early 1970s, Irish whiskey production had collapsed from thousands of distilleries to just a handful. Teeling, writing academic papers on the industry’s decline, set out to reverse the trend. In 1985 he purchased Ceimici Teoranta, a government-owned facility originally built to convert potatoes into industrial alcohol during the mid-20th century. Within two years, he had reconfigured the plant, installing both column stills for grain whiskey and copper pot stills for malt and pot still expressions.

The first new-make spirit left the stills in 1989. The distillery quickly challenged the prevailing industry dogma that Irish whiskey must be triple-distilled and entirely unpeated. By 1998, Cooley had won the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s trophy for outstanding quality – the first Irish distillery to receive the honour. Financial pressures eventually led to a €71 million sale to Beam Inc. in 2012, followed by Suntory’s acquisition of Beam in 2014. The Teeling family went on to launch their own ventures in Dundalk and Dublin, but Cooley remains the cornerstone of their original vision and continues to produce the core range that redefined modern Irish whiskey.

The Visitor Experience & Martin’s of Riverstown

Because the Riverstown distillery is a fully operational industrial production plant, there are no public tours, tasting rooms, or visitor facilities on the property. Furthermore, there is no official visitor centre or brand home in the nearby village of Carlingford.

Directly adjacent to the distillery gates in Riverstown stands Martin’s Pub (known locally as Martins of Riverstown). While it is an independent, traditional local pub rather than an official visitor centre, it has long served as an informal landmark for whiskey enthusiasts visiting the area.

For those seeking a full, official distillery tour experience, the brand’s owner (Suntory Global Spirits) directs visitors to the historic Kilbeggan Distillery in County Westmeath. Located about a 1.5-hour drive southwest of Cooley, the Kilbeggan visitor experience offers guided tours of a working distillery, historical exhibits dating back to 1757, and tastings of the whiskeys produced by Cooley, including Connemara, Tyrconnell, and Kilbeggan.

The Whiskey Portfolio

Cooley’s range is notable for its diversity and its willingness to revive dormant historic brands. The core portfolio includes:

• Connemara Single Malt: One of the few peated Irish malts available. It is double-distilled rather than triple-distilled, preserving a richer body and a distinctive smoky finish. Variants include the heavily peated Turf Mór and cask-strength releases.
• The Tyrconnell: A single malt acquired as a brand in 1988 after lying dormant since 1925. It is matured in bourbon, sherry, and port casks, yielding a fruity, malty profile with a long, warming finish.
• Kilbeggan: Originally founded in County Westmeath in 1757, the brand was brought under Cooley’s roof in 1987. The distillery produces both the classic blended Irish whiskey and a corn-based single grain expression (formerly marketed as Greenore).
• 2 Gingers: A blended whiskey launched in 2011, known for its approachable, slightly sweet character and its distinctive dual-gingerbread man logo.

Throughout its history, Cooley has also experimented with limited releases, including a single-pot-still poitín bottled at 65% ABV and a US-market single malt named Michael Collins. While some experimental lines have been discontinued, the core range remains a benchmark for quality in the Irish whiskey category.

The Cooley Peninsula Setting

The distillery sits on the Cooley Peninsula, a rugged stretch of coastline in north County Louth bounded by Carlingford Lough to the north and Dundalk Bay to the south. In Old Irish, the peninsula is known as Cúalnge, the legendary home of the Brown Bull of Cooley and the setting for the Táin Bó Cúailnge, Ireland’s most famous epic tale. The landscape still carries that ancient weight, with Neolithic monuments and Iron Age ringforts scattered across the limestone and greywacke terrain.

A short drive from the visitor centre brings you to the Proleek Dolmen, a Neolithic portal tomb whose capstone is estimated to weigh over 30 tonnes. For walkers, the Cooley Mountains and Slieve Foy trail offers panoramic views across both the Republic and Northern Ireland, while the Cooley Peninsula Scenic Route ties together coastal cliffs, historic villages, and quiet country lanes. The port of Greenore, just south of Carlingford, runs a regular ferry service to County Down, making cross-border day trips straightforward.

Practical Information

While you cannot tour the distillery itself, the scenic R173 loop road around the Cooley Peninsula provides beautiful views of the mountains and coastline, making a drive past the Riverstown gates a pleasant stop en route to the medieval village of Carlingford.