6 Best Sights in Ireland

It's the whiskey (the Irish spell their traditional tipple with an "e") that brings most people to the unassuming little town of Kilbeggan, home of the Kilbeggan Distillery Experience, the oldest pot-still distillery in the world and the last of its type in Ireland. Established in 1757, it closed as a functioning distillery in 1954, but has since found new life as a museum of industrial archaeology, illustrating the process of Irish pot-whiskey distillation and the social history of the workers. The distillery's original old stone and whitewashed buildings have been carefully tended, and the glorious timber waterwheel has been restored and repainted and is now creaking again. Multiple different types of tours are available. The one-hour Apprentice tour (€15) includes tasting three whiskeys; on the 90-minute Distillers tour (€30), you get to taste all four Kilbeggan core brands: Kilbeggan single grain, Kilbeggan Irish whiskey, Tyrconnell single malt, and Connemara peated single malt. 

If you're looking for a present, the new Kilbeggan single pot-still whiskey—launched in December 2019 at €60—is soft and mellow with citrusy summer fruits, or you could opt for handmade dark chocolate whiskey truffles or fudge in the shop.

Not content to have the busiest tourist attraction in the country with the Storehouse, Guinness (or rather, its parent company, mega-liquor brand, Diageo) has launched a new whiskey distillery on the site of the former brewery powerhouse, across the street from the Guinness Open Gate Brewery taproom. It's named after a long-forgotten whiskey made on-site, but all that remains of that original distillery is the beautiful windmill tower and a single pear tree (both of which are nodded to in the design of the bottle). A passionate guide leads you on an excellent whiskey tour through this state-of-the-art facility. Explore the science of distillation, the guesswork of blending, and try your hand at tasting and cocktail-making workshops. Finish it all with a whiskey cocktail at the fun Power House Bar.

Recently moved from its town center location in a bonded warehouse, the visitor center is now located at its modern plant at Clonminch outside Tullamore. Highlights include whiskey tours, tasting sessions, and a whiskey master class. In 2014, a €35 million distillery opened at Clonminch on the outskirts of town, bringing whiskey production back to the area after a gap of 60 years. The company embarked on a €10 million global marketing campaign, and today it's the world's second-largest and fastest-growing Irish whiskey brand—just behind Jameson. It's all a far cry from humble beginnings in 1829 when Tullamore Distillery was founded. It was greatly expanded under the aegis of Daniel E. Williams, whose family became joint shareholders, and his own initials (D. E. W.) were added to the whiskey's name, inspiring the slogan "Give every man his Dew" (which appeared on the bottles for many years). Triple distilled, and made from a unique blend of single malt, pot still, and grain whiskey, it is regarded by connoisseurs as exceptionally smooth. The visitor center shows several short videos on the history of the company and guided tours reflect the aroma aspects of the whiskey alongside infographics panels. The tour includes a 105-minute “behind-the-scenes” visit of the working distillery, an Irish coffee, still house visit, and experiment in the blending lab---where you can “dip the dog” and taste whiskey straight from the cask in the so-called secret warehouse snug. 

On a tour of the Old Midleton Distillery, you'll learn how this now world-renowned whiskey (uisce beatha, or "the water of life") was made in the old days. The old stone buildings are excellent examples of 19th-century industrial architecture, the impressively large old waterwheel still operates, and the pot still—a copper dome that can hold 32,000 imperial gallons of whiskey—is the world's largest. Tours end with a complimentary glass of Jameson's Irish whiskey (or a soft drink). A gift shop and café are also on the premises. From April to October there is a daily shuttle bus service from St. Patrick's Quay Cork; inquire when booking.

Early in the tour, requests are made for a volunteer "whiskey taster," so be alert if this option appeals.

Founded in 1791, this distillery produced one of Ireland's most famous whiskeys for nearly 200 years, until 1966, when local distilleries merged to form Irish Distillers and moved to a purpose-built, ultramodern distillery in Middleton, County Cork. A major recent renovation has turned this original distillery into a state-of-the-art museum and whiskey experience to rival Guinness's storehouse. In fact, Jameson claims to be the most visited distillery in the world. Tours focus on either exploring the history of the old place, blending your own whiskey, or honing your whiskey-cocktail-making skills. Tours include a complimentary tasting; four attendees are invited to taste different brands of Irish whiskey and compare them against bourbon and Scotch. If you have a large group and everyone wants to do this, phone in advance to arrange it. You can even bottle your own whiskey, with a personalized label.

While this state-of-the-art whiskey distillery in Dublin's historic Liberties neighborhood is relatively new, it's only a stone's throw from the 1782 site of the original Teelings. Part of the modern Irish renaissance in whiskey making, this pot-still operation offers one of the best and most inclusive whiskey tours in the country. You get to see the nuts and bolts of how the uisce beatha or "water of life" is made, and there's a delicious tasting waiting for you at the end. The little café out front is usually lively.

Price of tours vary greatly depending on the quality of the whiskey you will be tasting at the end.