The Jameson Distillery

At this time, it was described by many as a “city within a city”. The distillery also housed a Smithy, Cooperage, saw mills, engineers, carpenters, painters and coppersmiths’ shops. Water for the distillery came from two deep wells dug underneath the site. Cellars were also dug underneath nearby streets to store maturing whiskey, while four stills and two wash stills, each holding 24,000 gallons, were heated by both fire and steam coils above.

Following a difficult period that included American Prohibition, Ireland’s trade war with Great Britain, and the introduction of Scotch blended whiskey, the Jameson distillery fell on hard times and decided to form the Irish Distillers Group with their previous rivals, the Cork Distilleries Company and John Power & Son in 1966. Eventually, it became one of the last distilleries in Ireland to close in 1971. The operation was then moved out of Dublin to the New Midleton Distillery Jameson whiskey is the world’s biggest selling Irish Whiskey and its origins go back to 1780, when an enterprising Scots man, John Jameson made Dublin his base and founder the distillery that was to bear his name. In 1804 his son, also John, took over at Bow Street and laid the foundations for the international success of the firm by modernising and expanding operations. He in turn was succeeded by John Jameson III, the first of the family to live at Portmarnock.

By the 1880’s the Jameson Distillery extended over 5 acres in Dublin City century and employed over 200 men. Whiskey was exported from there all over the world. Irish whiskey at that time was the drink of connoisseurs prepared to pay higher prices for quality products.

Today production has moved to a greenfield site in Midleton, Co. Cork but visitors to Dublin can still call to the Jameson Distillery Bow Street for a tour or a tasting, on the site where it all began in 1780.