Oldest Whiskey Distilleries in Ireland You Can Still Visit (2026 Guide)

Updated May 2026–Ireland’s whiskey industry has experienced a major revival over the past decade, with dozens of operational distilleries across the island, reflecting one of the fastest-growing whiskey industries in the world.

But for many visitors, it’s the historic names that hold the greatest appeal.

If you’re planning a whiskey-focused trip to Ireland, these are the oldest distilleries you can still visit, each with a story that stretches back centuries.

In this guide, you’ll discover:

• The oldest licensed distillery in Ireland*
• The oldest working distillery on the island*
• Where each is located
• What to expect on a tour
• How to include them in your itinerary

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The Story of Irish Whiskey

Most historians credit Ireland’s monks for establishing whiskey-making in Ireland.

The flavors that you may be familiar with today are not anything like the monks’ original version.

That was believed to have been flavored with herbs such as mint, thyme, or anise, a recipe that has been somewhat duplicated by makers of Irish Mist, the popular liqueur.

Details of early whiskey production are sketchy as much of it was illegal. However, there is a mention of it in the Annals of Clonmacnoise, an early 17^th-century book translated into the English language that recounts events in Ireland from pre-history to the year 1408.

By the 16^th century, whiskey consumption was widespread throughout Ireland.

The first known whiskey license was granted to Sir Thomas Phillips, a landowner in Bushmills, County Antrim in 1608, but the Old Bushmills Distillery itself was not registered to trade until 1784. Still, that makes Bushmills the oldest licensed distillery on the island of Ireland.

That makes it the second-oldest whiskey distillery on the island of Ireland after the Kilbeggan Distillery in County Westmeath, which was actually founded in 1757, giving it the title, “the oldest working distillery on the island of Ireland.”

The effects of the Irish War of Independence and prohibition in the U.S. greatly impacted the Irish whiskey industry, cutting off access to its most important markets, the U.S. and the U.K.

Whiskey production went into decline during most of the 20^th century, with only a few distillers doing business at the time.

Today, the whiskey distillery industry has rebounded, becoming a popular tourist attraction for many visitors to Ireland.

The Irish Whiskey Museum in Dublin is well worth a visit if you want to learn more about whiskey making in Ireland

ANTRIM: The Bushmills Distillery

Founded: 1784 (it began operation, although it gained its license in 1608)
Why It’s Historic: One of the oldest licensed distilleries in the world; few whiskey brands can trace their roots back 400 years.
Tour Highlights: Visitors move through the actual production areas, part of its Warehouse & Cask Maturation Experience.
Tour Cost: From £20 (Old Distillery Tour). Other tours at the distillery are more expensive.
Best For: Whiskey enthusiasts.

The Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim is one of Northern Ireland’s primary tourist attractions and also one of the oldest whiskey distilleries in Ireland.

It is close to the Giant’s Causeway and the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, so if you are visiting those attractions, be sure to the distillery as well.

During the early years of production, the business faltered. In 1885, a fire destroyed the building, but it was quickly rebuilt. Even though Prohibition dealt a severe blow to the Bushmills Distillery, it managed to survive.

The ownership of Bushmills has changed over the years. In 2005, the company was bought by Diageo for £300 million.

On the distillery’s 40-minute tour, you’ll learn about the ingredients and the process by which Bushmills whiskey is made.

Bushmills Distillery is known for perfecting the art of triple distillation in copper stills and aging it in oak casks.

The tour also includes a complimentary glass of Bushmills whiskey. The company produces three different brands. They include the original, the Black Bush, and the Red Bush.

Explore them all in this promotional video series.

Tours for adults cost £9, £8 for seniors 60+ and students with an ID aged 18 and above, and £5 for children aged 8-17. A family ticket costs £25, which covers two adults and up to three children ages 8-17.

DUBLIN:
Jameson Distillery Bow Street

Founded: 1780
Why It’s Historic: It is the original home of the company that James Jameson founded in the 18th century. and once an industrial powerhouse in Dublin.
Tour Highlights: since this no longer a working distillery, it’s more about the storytelling aspect of the brand; tastings are of course included.
Tour Cost: From €26 (Jameson Experience with Tasting)
Best For: First-time whiskey tasters and for those who enjoy storytelling.

The Jameson Distillery Bow St. in Dublin is where the original Jameson distillery was based, making it also one of the oldest whiskey distilleries in Ireland.

In 1975, production was moved to its base in Midleton, County Cork.

The company was established in 1780 by John Jameson, originally a lawyer from Scotland.

By the turn of the 19^th century, the Jameson Distillery had become the second-largest producer of whiskey in Ireland and one of the largest in the world.

You can follow in the footsteps of the founder on a 45-minute guided tour led by a Jameson Ambassador.

The tour includes the tasting of three Jameson whiskeys, and a complimentary Jameson drink. Tours are wheelchair accessible.

For the full Jameson whiskey experience, you should visit the Jameson Midleton Distillery. That facility produces much of the Irish whiskey sold in Ireland under the Jameson, Midleton, Powers, Redbreast, Spot, and Paddy labels.

The Powers brand was the first bottled whiskey in Ireland. While no Powers distillery exists today, the brand has a history that dates back to 1791 when James Power established a small distillery at his public house in Dublin.

There are a number of tours available at the Cork distillery, including its “Behind the Scenes” tour, the Jameson Experience Tour & Premium Whiskey Tasting, as well as the Jameson Distillery Experience Tour.

OFFALY:
Tullamore Dew

Founded: 1829
Why It’s Historic: It played a significant role in the development of the Irish whiskey industry.
Tour Highlights: its Irish Coffee welcome; tbehind-the-scenes working distillery access; see tens of thousands of oak casks; hands-on blending lab; “Dip the Dog” tasting.
Tour Cost: €47 (Distillery Experience)
Best For: Casual whiskey fans.

The story of Tullamore Dew whiskey is a true rags-to-riches tale. Established in 1829, the brand owes its name to Daniel E. Williams, who worked his way up from the position of a stable boy to eventually managing and owning the company.

The name comes from his initials, DEW.

In 1954, John Powers & Son bought the business and took the production of Tullamore Dew to Midleton in Co. Cork.

In 2010, the brand was purchased by William Grant & Sons, who built a new whiskey distillery outside Tullamore.

It was officially opened in 2014 and marked the resumption of whiskey-making in the town after an absence of 60 years.

You can take guided tours at the visitor center, known as the Old Bonded Warehouse, located on the banks of the Grand Canal.

Distillery tours of Tullamore Dew, one of the oldest whiskey distilleries in Ireland, will take you on Williams’ journey, and you’ll also learn about the distillery’s state-of-the-art process, as well as the secret that gives Tullamore Dew its unique complex taste.

You can take a guided tour at the visitor center, known as the Old Bonded Warehouse, located on the banks of the Grand Canal.

The Distillery Experience tour will take you behind the scenes of the facility, from distillation to maturation while also meeting the people who work on the site each day.

Enjoy a welcome Irish coffee and spend time in Ireland’s only custom-built warehouse snug discovering the art of whiskey blending before tasting three of Tullamore D.E.W.’s award-winning whiskeys.

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WESTMEATH:

Kilbeggan Distillery

The Kilbeggan Distillery in County Westmeath has the distinction of being the oldest whiskey distillery on the island of Ireland.

It was founded in 1757 by Matthew MacManus.

Having been run by several owners for close to 100 years, the whiskey distillery was purchased by John Locke in 1843, who subsequently turned it into a very successful venture that greatly benefited the town of Kilbeggan.

Locke was known as a fair employer who treated his employees well, so much so that when the distillery’s boiler broke in 1866 and Locke was unable to purchase a new one on his own, the people of Kilbeggan banded together and bought it for him.

A plaque commemorating the day when Locke was presented with the new boiler can be seen in the distillery restaurant.

The story of Kilbeggan Distillery does not end there. After Locke’s death, it went through difficult times, eventually going into receivership in 1958.

It was not until 1982 that the people of Kilbeggan helped revive the whiskey distillery’s brand by turning the building into a museum.

With the help of the nearby Cooley Distillery, Kilbeggan was finally able to re-open its doors in 2007 as a working whiskey distillery once again.

On a guided tour, you’ll learn the storied history of the Kilbeggan Distillery and so much more. You’ll also see how it has managed to combine the whiskey-making traditions of days gone by with today’s innovative techniques.

The “Distillery Experience” includes a visit to the old warehouses and a meet and greet with the company’s onsite distillers.

The 1 ½-hour tour finishes with a masterclass that includes a tasting of four unique Kilbeggan whiskeys. The cost is €30 per person.

The “Bottle Your Own Experience” does not include a guided tour but you do get the chance to fill your own 70 cl bottle of whiskey from the cask and complete your own special label by hand.

There are many more recently established whiskey distilleries all across Ireland. Here is a list of those in operation and about to launch:

Have you taken a whiskey distillery tour in Ireland? If so, let me know how that was in the comments.