Founded 1873, closed 1900 |
| Banagher Distillery was founded in 1873 by a consortium of London-based and local businessmen who took over the existing Banagher Flax Company, an 11-acre-site with notably strong and well-built stone buildings located half a mile from the town of Banagher.
The Company with head offices in London clearly aimed at the strong export market of Irish Whiskey and hoped to produce 600,000 gallons per year. However, while still rebuilding in 1875, the company went into liquidation for the first time. The Liquidator, Thomas Cave, carried on the business and by April 1876, the Distillery was in full swing under the supervision of Distiller Mr. William Peacy but, due to low sales and high production costs, offered for sale in the same year. As no bidding was done in the public auction, decision was taken by the board to set up a new company, the Banagher Whiskey Distillery Co., Ltd. Under new management, the Distillery enjoyed a few years of success and reasonable profits, most of which were used for additions and improvements to the plant. When the Whiskey industry was hit by the depression in the late 1870s, there was not enough money left to continue the business, and the company was wound up in 1881. At the time, about 300 people were employed in the Distillery which operated three stills at 22, 11 and 10 thousand gallons capacity, respectively. As it was mothballed between 1881 and 1887, Banagher Distillery failed to be mentioned in Alfred Barnard's book, who visited the nearby Distilleries at Tullamore, Kilbeggan, Birr, and Monasterevan, on his travel through Ireland in 1886. The premises were bought in 1887 by Adam Scott, a Wine merchant, who operated it as the Banagher Distillery Co. Ltd., and seems to have achieved success in his business until he, too, was forced to close the Distillery after three years. The fourth company to take over the Distillery was the Dublin City and Banagher Distilleries Ltd., founded in 1890. Apparently, there had been a Distillery in Great Brunswick Street (today Pearse Street) in Dublin which, along with the Banagher Distillery, was acquired by the new company. The Dublin plant had a capacity three times that of Banagher, so the company aimed to produce around 2,000,000 gallons of Whiskey per year. Surprisingly, the venture was again troubled by lack of capital and, as production in Banagher proved to be inefficient, tried to sell the Distillery. In 1897, Banagher Distillery changed its owner for the last time, when it was sold to Whisky Distillers Syndicate, Ltd., who operated it until its final closure in 1899. The buildings and equipment were demolished in May 1900, closing a short, but very troublesome chapter in Irish Whiskey History. |
