‘Old Newry’ Irish Whiskey Marks Distilling In The Area
Matt D’arcy’s, the Newry-based whiskey company, has published a new book “Matt D’Arcy’s & Old Newry Whiskies”, detailing the long history of distilling and blending in the city, and introduced a new Irish whiskey“Old Newry’ to mark the occasion.
The company is developing a distillery in Newry and has also range of range of premium whiskeys.
Company chairman Michael McKeown has authored the book and has completed a detailed study of the various companies that called Newry home and that made the Irish city famous throughout the world in the 18th and 19thcenturies.
Mr McKeown has also uncovered records dating back to the 12th Century wherein Maurice McLoughlin, the High King of Ireland, granted a Royal Charter to the local Cistercian Order of Monks giving them ownership of the mills in the area and access to the mash needed to distil spirits.
This claim of a long history of Newry Whiskey distilling is further supported by records in Nicolas Bagenal rent rolls of 1575, where the most valuable property in the Abbey of Newry was recorded as the “Queen’s Backhouse and Brewhouse”.
The book details the establishment of the Victorian distilling enterprise, Matt D’Arcy & Company, the history of its founder and subsequent chairmen, and the many business and philanthropic endeavours they undertook that helped shape the city to this day.
A further exploration of the other companies that helped to build a rich heritage of whiskey production over the centuries is also included, such as Henry Thomson & Co. and Duncan, Alderdice & Co.
Matt D’Arcy’s have launched a new whiskey to celebrate the publishing of this historical record. Named “Old Newry” with the tagline “Since 1144 and before”, this whiskey pays homage to the long history of blending and bonding Irish whiskey in the city of Newry.
