9-10th of May, Donegal
Sláinte, members!
Following a fantastic response to our recent call for interest, the Irish Whiskey Society is delighted to officially announce our upcoming expedition to the rugged northwest. We are heading to the heart of the Donegal Gaeltacht to explore a region that is beautifully blending centuries-old traditions with the cutting edge of modern Irish distilling.
This weekend away is designed for those who want to get "under the hood" of the industry, meet the people behind the spirit, and enjoy the incomparable hospitality of Donegal.
Saturday, May 9th: The Revival
10:00 AM: Departure from Dublin via dedicated Society coach.
Afternoon: Our first stop is the historic Crolly Distillery. Located in a restored 1902 carpet factory, Crolly is reviving the tradition of "Donegal Whiskey" using direct-fired stills.
Evening: We will gather for a Society dinner at the legendary Leo’s Tavern—the world-renowned home of Clannad and Enya—for an evening of food, music, and, of course, a few choice drams.
Sunday, May 10th: The Spirit of the Cliffs
Morning: Following breakfast at the hotel, we transfer to the picturesque town of Ardara.
Mid-day: A deep-dive visit to Sliabh Liag Distillers. We’ll explore their craftsmanship and hear about their mission to reclaim the "smoky" heritage of Donegal whiskey.
6:00 PM: Approximate arrival back in Dublin.
To provide the best flexibility for our members, accommodation is booked directly with the An Chúirt Hotel rather than through the Society website. We have secured a dedicated block of rooms for our group (Single, Double & Triple).
How to book your room: Please email the hotel directly at reservations.ac@gallengroup.com with the following details:
Subject Line: Quote "Irish Whiskey Society"
Details required: Your Name, Type of Room (Single/Double/Twin), Phone Number, and Email.
Payment: Provide full credit/debit card details. Note: American Express is not accepted.
Important Payment & Cancellation Policy: Advance Payment: The hotel will take full payment at the time of booking to ensure a seamless check-in process for our group. Cancellations: The deadline for a full refund is April 18th (3 weeks prior to arrival). Cancellations made after this date will be charged the full amount to the card on file.
Important Payment & Cancellation Policy:
Advance Payment: The hotel will take full payment at the time of booking to ensure a seamless check-in process for our group.
Cancellations: The deadline for a full refund is April 18th (3 weeks prior to arrival). Cancellations made after this date will be charged the full amount to the card on file.
Tickets are strictly limited to 48 places on the bus. Given the interest already shown, we expect this to sell out quickly.
Please Note:
This event is for IWS Members only.
Transport: A dedicated Society bus will be our home for the weekend, allowing us to travel in comfort and safety.
Society Trip Fee: €50 per person. This fee covers your seat on the bus and all scheduled distillery tour costs.
Payment is via Stripe. Please complete your booking within 15 minutes of starting the process to secure your place.
Ensure you have read our In-Person Event Terms & Conditions.
Join us as we head north for a weekend of Donegal spirits and great company!
Join us in Dick Mack’s for a tasting and talk with whiskey writer Dr. Fionnán O’Connor and a preview glimpse of his new book project, Créatúr: Irish Whiskey Through The Histories of Its Tastes, (scheduled for publication in 2027). It has been ten years since O’Connor’s last book, A Glass Apart, and his last presentation to us here in Dingle and Irish whiskey has changed quite a lot in the meantime. A Glass Apart can be said to be the best book ever written about Irish whiskey.
On the night, Fionnán will walk us through a flight of rarities from the society archive highlighting classic tastes he loves in Irish whiskey and a range of cask pulls from experimental projects he has been undertaking with young distilleries in tandem with his book and its research. The night promises a long liquid look both back and forwards, to see where Irish distilling might be headed, with some cracking drams at every step.
Fionnan was one of the founding members of the Irish Whiskey Society and has worked very hard to proclaim to the world just how great Irish whiskey is and indeed, always has been. He is a legend in the whiskey community and a great friend to the society, especially here in the town. We really look forward to his return and what he has in store for us. He recently raided the society whiskey archive and has some amazing whiskey for us to taste.
Whiskeys Tasted:
1.
Booking opens immediately. As there are only 30 places allocated to this tasting, members are strongly advised to book this event as soon as possible. Join the waiting list to be notified should there be any cancellations as we might be able to get more spots for the event. It is necessary to register and complete payment via Stripe (within 15 minutes) to secure your booking.
Event Booking Terms & Conditions: https://www.irishwhiskeysociety.com/IWS-In-Person-Events
Irish Whiskey Society Fundraiser Raffle in aid of the Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless People
Draw to be held on Friday May 29, at the conclusion of the “Pep in Your Step” Fundraiser Tasting (LINK TO EVENT PAGE)
With this raffle, the Irish Whiskey Society is proud to raise funds for the Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless People. The Day Centre provides over 345,000 hot meals a year and 1,450 food parcels aweek to support homeless people and people in need. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets will go to charity.
There is no limit to the number of tickets IWS members can buy, and tickets can be bought individually or in bundles. Just select from the ticket type on the left of the screen. To buy more than 5 tickets, simply come back and make another purchase. Tickets will be available until the day of the raffle, Friday, May 29th.
Ticket prices
Each ticket will be assigned an individual number, which will be selected at random at the end of the tasting on 29 May. The draw will be recorded and posted to the IWS YouTube Channel. Winners will be informed by email the day after the draw to arrange collection. Winners who are present at the tasting on the night will be welcome to collect their prize immediately.
Prizes
On behalf of its members, the IWS would like to express our sincere gratitude for the generosity of the following, who have supported this fundraiser by providing wonderful prizes, including:
Petr Blechta
Matthew Jones
Celtic Whiskey Shop
Stitch & Weave
James J. Fox
Carry Out Killarney
Irish Whiskey Auctions
Navan Whiskey Society
Dublin Whiskey Club
Dram of the Month
Friday 29th May, Wynn's Hotel, Dublin 1 & Online (YouTube)
Dear Members,
The Irish Whiskey Society is delighted to announce our May End of Month tasting, which will raise valuable funds to support the important work of the Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless People. The Day Centre provides over 345,000 hot meals a year and 1,450 food parcels a week to support homeless people and people in need.
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We would like to acknowledge the efforts of our own long-time member Petr Blechta (Whiskey Pep) who has done amazing work in sourcing not only a great range of whiskeys for the night, but also in securing a wide array of special prizes for a fundraiser raffle (LINK TO FUNDRAISER EVENT PAGE).
On behalf of its members, the IWS would also like to express our sincere gratitude for the generosity of the Irish Whiskey Industry, who have supported this fundraiser by donating some really wonderful samples and prizes. They are also donating their time as we will have distillery representatives on hand on the night to discuss their whiskeys, including Michael Cowman from Redacted, Eoin Cooney from Teeling, Patrick Gray-Sloan from Killowen, Stephen Magennis from Dunville’s, Mark Lonergan from Copeland and Paul Costello & Dan Pennington from Cork Whiskey Society.
On the night, members will taste a wide range of rare or as-yet unseen whiskeys including the following, with potentially more whiskeys being added to the lineup:
Booking opens on Monday the 11th of May at 7.00 pm. There are spaces available for offline and online tastings, if booking an online ticket, please ensure you supply your full address, including eircode. Tickets are €40 for in-person and €45 for online, with all net proceeds going to charity. Join the waiting list to be notified as we might be able to get more spots for the event. It is necessary to register and complete payment via Stripe (within 15 minutes) to secure your booking.
