It was a favourite tipple of Queen Elizabeth I of England, who had casks of it delivered to her court in the 16th century.
Dr Samuel Johnson, the writer, was also a fan of its “pleasant and mild flavour”. Now, after 100 years of near terminal decline, Irish whiskey is making a comeback.
Exports of the spirit are surging in key markets, multinationals are investing in the main brands – Jameson, Bushmills and Tullamore Dew – and the number of distilleries is set to triple over five years. The resurgence of whiskey, known as uisce beatha, or water of life, in Irish, is part of a wider growth in food and drink exports that is helping Dublin emerge from its financial crisis.