It is great to see whiskey being distilled so widely in Ireland again

THIS week I got an invitation to the launch of a new whiskey on Lambay Island, entitled Lambay Irish Whiskey. And being an old history buff and a nosey parker at heart, I couldn’t resist.

Lambay (from the old Norse Lambey, meaning Lamb Island) is an island off the coast of North County Dublin with a great history. It has a castle that was converted from a 15th century blockhouse by architect Edwin Lutyens for Cecil Baring, subsequently 3rd Lord Revelstoke, of Barings Bank fame.

He fell in love with Maud Louise Lorillard, daughter of the US tobacco millionaire Pierre Lorillard, and, after she divorced her husband, he bought Lambay in 1904 as his island paradise home to share with his new young wife. It was all so romantic.

My Mum tells me there used to be day trips to and from the island in her day, and I wonder if this will ever happen again. All in all, this island is a fascinating place right on our doorstep.

Alexander Baring, 7th Lord Revelstoke, who now lives in the castle, has partnered with the famous cognac producer, House of Camus, to create the Lambay Irish Whiskey and the first batch of 500 cases will begin shipping in September, mainly in 70cl bottles, priced at €25-30 for the blend and €45-50 for the malt.

We will be stocking it when it becomes available too. This is the latest in a long line of Irish whiskeys to come to the market, and while I know a little about our national drink ‘uisce beatha’ — or ‘the water of life’ — it is great to see whiskey being distilled so widely in Ireland again.

I have been doing a little homework, and it seems the reason Scotch whisky (spelt, of course, without the ‘e’ in Scotland) is so popular in the USA is because DeValera refused to supply the United States with Irish Whiskey during Prohibition.

The Scots did, and so began a love affair between the American whiskey drinkers and Scotch.

Things are changing now though. The Dingle Distillery, the brainchild of the late and great publican Oliver Hughes, is thriving.

They started producing their delicious gin and vodka when the firm came into being in 2012, and and their Founding Father’s Reserve Whiskey became available last October..

It is all go and our big and small brands are supplying countries all over the world, with the biggest consumers being Asia.

It is said whiskey drinkers live longer! So things are looking up for the Irish whiskey trade — and long overdue in my opinion. Slainte!