Celebrating 700 years of Irish whiskey distilling

This year, the Irish Whiskey sector celebrates a very important and significant anniversary.

In 1324, the Red Book of Ossory was written by the then bishop, Richard Ladrede, and published in the medieval city of Kilkenny.

The Red Book holds the earliest recorded recipe for distilling Aqua Vitae, used for medicinal purposes as the Black Death ravaged Europe. The 'water of life' is known as whiskey, today.

This is the first instance that distillation is mentioned in Ireland, and therefore we celebrate 700 years of our distilling tradition in 2024.

Our industry has long been proud of our history and heritage.

We have lived through periods of massive growth, once being the world’s greatest producer of whiskey, before seeing this success decline in the early 20th century – largely due to geopolitical tensions, prohibitions, and natural disasters including fires.

From the ashes, however, the Irish Whiskey sector has risen and Ireland is now home to almost 50 distilleries across the island, north and south. The unique characteristics and smooth taste of Irish Whiskey are now enjoyed in 120+ markets worldwide, and it has become a billion-euro industry, synonymous with our heritage, culture and personality. 

The book where it all began, the Red Book of Ossory, is now available for public display at St. Canice’s Cathedral in Kilkenny. This hugely significant document offers an insight into medieval Ireland and – like Irish Whiskey – has survived the centuries to live on in Glory. 

People are invited to preview the exhibition and its centrepiece, The Red Book of Ossory, from Monday, July 29th at St. Canice’s Cathedral. The 79-vellum page artefact will “spark imagination and connect local people with their history,” according to the Very Reverend Stephen Farrell, Dean of Ossory.

We wish to congratulate all those who have worked on this project, and we cannot wait to visit ourselves! 

Here’s to the next 700 years of Irish Whiskey!