Enda bats for uisce beatha

NEW ATTRACTION Paul and Jude Davis with their daughters Gemma and Abby at the site of their new Distillery in Lahardane which will be home to the new ‘Nephin Irish Whiskey’.Pic: Michael McLaughlin

Taoiseach launches Nephin Whiskey in Lahardane


Anton McNulty

AN Taoiseach, Enda Kenny officially launched Mayo’s first distillery in over 100 years which hopes to create 18 full-time jobs in the small village of Lahardane in north Mayo.
The Nephin Whiskey Company plans to start distilling their own blend of Peated Single Malt Whiskey in the next 12 months on a site in the heart of Lahardaun. An Taoiseach Enda Kenny was the special guest at their launch yesterday afternoon (Monday) in Murphy’s Bar in the village.
The company was created by husband and wife team, Paul and Jude Davis with the distillery  due to be located near Barrett’s shop. As well as distilling whiskey they envisage the plant to be part if the north Mayo tourist trail which he believes can attract up to 40,000 visitors per year to the locality. They hope to create 18 full time jobs as well as a further 30 temporary positions during the construction phase.
Paul belives that the location for the distillery in an area between Lough Conn and Nephin is ideal for the production of premium whiskey which they will market at the premium and super premium level.
The taste will be flavoured by heather and gorse which Paul sees as a unique sell point for the US market as well reverting to using peat to drying the barley.
“We’re sourcing locally, using turf smoke to dry the barley and running our own cooperage on site. All of that is unique today, but centuries ago would have been common in this part of the country.”
Sales director, Mark Quick is hoping that local people, whiskey enthusiasts and those with Mayo connections will become involved and support the venture.
“We’ve had a fantastic response from people through social media and soon our followers will be able to buy a certificate of claim to one of the first numbered bottles of Nephin Whiskey,” the Ballina native said.
Local businessman, Michael Murphy called the distillery plans, ‘a golden opportunity for the economic, social and aesthetic rejuvenation of the entire village’.
Ballina-based TD, Michelle Mulherin welcomed plans to open a distillery in Lahardane and paid tribute to the entrepreneurial spirit of Mr Davis.
“The distillery will be a unique tourist attraction as it will have the only malt house in Ireland and it will also be the only distillery with an on-site cooperage. The distillery will also fit in perfectly with the existing popular local tourist attraction, the Addergoole Titanic Memorial Park, and offer tourists another reason to holiday in Mayo,” she said.