Matt D'Arcy & Co Ltd

Andrew Cowan and Michael McKeown have spent the last two years working hard to resurrect Newry's once globally famous Matt D'Arcy whiskey brand.

After a gap of more than a century, Matt D'Arcy & Co Limited has unveiled a 17-year-old single malt and a 10-year-old blend finished in port casks from Barbados - aimed at the super-premium and premium whiskey markets respectively.

The brands are now available to purchase exclusively at the Celtic Whiskey Shop in Dublin. 

Local businessman Michael McKeown acquired the old distiller site on Monaghan Street in February 2017, the original location of D'Arcy's Old Irish Whiskey since 1817, and the distillery opened in 2019.

The 14,000-square-foot site comprises a fully restored Victorian bar, restaurant and a visitor centre over several floors. The distillery aims to produce 9,000 cases a year of single malt whiskey for the premium market globally.

Both of the whiskeys won multiple awards at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, with the 17-year-old single malt taking Best Irish Whiskey in a blind taste test.