Kilbeggan Distillery is Ireland's oldest licensed distillery. It is located in County Westmeath on the banks of the Brosna River. There is also a whiskey museum in the building. A guided tour lasts about 1 hour and ends with a drink tasting.
The distillery was founded in 1757 by Matthias MacManus, a participant in the Irish independence struggles. The next owners were the Codd family, and then John Locke, whose family managed the distillery from 1843 to 1947, when the Swiss company Transworld Trust took over it. Unfortunately, the poor economic situation led to the stoppage of production and the closure of the distillery in 1957. Over the years, the building fell into disrepair, but in 1982, thanks to the efforts of the Kilbeggan community, a museum was opened there. In the 1990s, the distillery was bought by Cooley Distillery, which started whiskey production again in 2007.
The distillery is housed in well-preserved 18th-century buildings. Old copper stills, an oak tub and a mill wheel on the river are still used for production.
Attractions inside
