Archival label from Locke
Museum Kilbeggan Ireland
Museum Kilbeggan Ireland
First known documentation of Irish whiskey. ‘Uisce Beatha’ or ‘water of life’ is recorded in the Annals of Clonmacnoise.
Matthias McManus establishes Kilbeggan’s first distillery under the patronage of Gustavus Lambert. Early documentation shows McManus’ still had a capacity of 232 gallons and likely produced around 1,500 gallons per annum.
The Distilling Act requires all makers of Irish whiskey to operate with a government-authorized license. Many distillers go underground, as illicit operations spring up throughout central Ireland.
The Temperance Movement is founded in County Cork, several hours south of Kilbeggan, by Franciscan priest, Father Theobald Mathew, known also as the “Apostle of Temperance.” As much of Ireland’s population pledges to abstain from alcohol for life, the impact on distilleries is devastating. The movement is officially known as the “Cork Total Abstinence Society” and enrolls half of Irish society at the height of its influence.
Fire destroys part of the distillery. Townspeople smash down warehouse doors allowing several thousand casks to roll into the street, thereby preventing destruction of both facility and supply.
Owing to food shortages throughout Great Britain, the distilling of whiskey in Ireland is suspended.