Our Story

Irish whiskey is the fastest growing spirit in the world.  At the Irish Whiskey Museum we tell the stories, from the origin of whiskey in Ireland up to the present day, with all the highs and lows in between. 

In 2013, there were only four distilleries in operation and five visitor centres on the island. Now there are eighteen working distilleries, with another sixteen in planning. The Irish Whiskey Museum being independent of all distilleries, offers visitors the opportunity to taste and experience some of the many varieties of whiskey on offer.

The Irish Whiskey Museum located in the heart of Dublin City first opened its doors in November 2014 and, since opening, the growth of the whiskey industry in Ireland continues apace.  The origins of the Irish Whiskey Museum lies in the desire of owner Keith McDonnell to tell the great untold stories of Irish whiskey in a market that was beginning to grow rapidly, where there was clearly a resurgence of interest in a product that has so many great stories attached to it and is always synonymous with the Irish. 

The guided tour through five rooms, 4 of which are themed to represent a particular period in Irish history, tells visitors the intriguing tales of Irish whiskey; from how the monks first produced this famous spirit in the 12th century,to the golden era of Irish whiskey, when the big whiskey players like John Jameson and George Roe played a vital role in the development of the whiskey industry in Ireland. Visitors also get an insight into the massive downturn in production and sales of Irish whiskey, going from 120-200 distilleries in the 1800s to only having four by the 1950s/60s and Irish whiskey sales plummeted, to back to where we are now, enjoying a new golden age.  The 5th and final room of the tour, the Tasting Room, is where visitors get to taste and compare 3 or 4 very different Irish whiskies under the excellent guidance of a tasting expert.

Located at the main entrance of Trinity College, the Irish Whiskey Museum is the most centrally located visitor attraction in Dublin. Relax in our contemporary bar and taste some fine Irish whiskeys, Irish Coffee or whiskey cocktails, while taking in the beautiful grounds of Trinity College from above.

Since opening in November 2014, the Irish Whiskey Museum is quickly becoming one of Dublin’s most sought after top tourist attractions. In 2018 the Irish Whiskey Museum was voted Traveller’s Choice by Tripadvisor and in the top 25 museums to visit in Europe! We have been voted Top 10 Hottest by Irish Independent newspaper and Hottest Travel Ticket by Newstalk radio. We also won highly commended Whiskey Visitor Attraction by Whiskey Magazine.

The Irish Whiskey Museum is independent from the drinks industry and as such we are able to offer an impartial point of view. While being independent, we have developed close working relationships with several distilleries and have also been endorsed by prestigious whiskey companies such as Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Bushmills, Tullamore Dew, Teelings and Walsh whiskeys. Our vision is to celebrate the story of Irish whiskey and reclaim Ireland as the original home of whiskey.

The Irish Whiskey museum, the Riddler restaurant, Irish day tours, tourist office Dublin and extreme Ireland are all part of the Ei travel group an inbound travel  operator who can supply a multitude of services and quality transport throughout Ireland.