Our Story

Steeped in provenance, Powerscourt Estate has always been an integral part of picturesque Enniskerry Village, 1km from the estate. The village was initially built to house the estate workers and is now frequently used as the “live set” for many international film makers. Powerscourt Estate was already a premium destination, offering an array of amenities and a whiskey distillery and visitor centre was an natural next step to further enhance the visitor experience.

Gerry Ginty, with his business partner, a local entrepreneur Ashley Gardiner presented the proposal to build a whiskey distillery to the estate owners – The Slazenger Family – on one of Ireland’s great estates. Planning permission was secured in 2015 and the project was ready for investment.

Whiskey industry veteran Mike Peirce and his son and Alex Peirce joined the venture and Powerscourt Distillery Ltd, “A Unique Distillery In An Extraordinary Location”, was born.

With ensuing industry contacts, it wasn’t long before world-renowned Master Distiller Noel Sweeney was appointed, and construction began with complete turnkey installation from the famed whisky distillation equipment producer, Forsyths of Scotland. Distilling started in June 2018, with the first barrels laid down in August of that year. Inductee to the World Whisky Hall of Fame, our Founding Master Distiller and Blender Noel Sweeney had previously distilled and laid down our aged range of Fercullen Irish Whiskey, allowing us to launch the Fercullen Irish Whiskey Brand at Whiskey Live Dublin in late 2018.