Join us in Dick Mack’s for a tasting and talk with whiskey writer Dr. Fionnán O’Connor and a preview glimpse of his new book project, Créatúr: Irish Whiskey Through The Histories of Its Tastes, (scheduled for publication in 2027). It has been ten years since O’Connor’s last book, A Glass Apart, and his last presentation to us here in Dingle and Irish whiskey has changed quite a lot in the meantime. A Glass Apart can be said to be the best book ever written about Irish whiskey.
On the night, Fionnán will walk us through a flight of rarities from the society archive highlighting classic tastes he loves in Irish whiskey and a range of cask pulls from experimental projects he has been undertaking with young distilleries in tandem with his book and its research. The night promises a long liquid look both back and forwards, to see where Irish distilling might be headed, with some cracking drams at every step.
Fionnan was one of the founding members of the Irish Whiskey Society and has worked very hard to proclaim to the world just how great Irish whiskey is and indeed, always has been. He is a legend in the whiskey community and a great friend to the society, especially here in the town. We really look forward to his return and what he has in store for us. He recently raided the society whiskey archive and has some amazing whiskey for us to taste.
Whiskeys Tasted:
1.
Booking opens immediately. As there are only 30 places allocated to this tasting, members are strongly advised to book this event as soon as possible. Join the waiting list to be notified should there be any cancellations as we might be able to get more spots for the event. It is necessary to register and complete payment via Stripe (within 15 minutes) to secure your booking.
Event Booking Terms & Conditions: https://www.irishwhiskeysociety.com/IWS-In-Person-Events
Irish Whiskey Society Fundraiser Raffle in aid of the Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless People
Draw to be held on Friday May 29
At the conclusion of the “Pep in Your Step” Fundraiser Tasting
(https://www.irishwhiskeysociety.com/event-6690080)
With this raffle, the Irish Whiskey Society is proud to raise funds for the Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless People. The Day Centre provides over 345,000 hot meals a year and 1,450 food parcels aweek to support homeless people and people in need. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets will go to charity.
There is no limit to the number of tickets IWS members can buy, and tickets can be bought individually or in bundles. Just select from the ticket type on the left of the screen. To buy more than 5 tickets, simply come back and make another purchase. Tickets will be available until the day of the raffle, Friday, May 29th.
Ticket prices
Each ticket will be assigned an individual number, which will be selected at random at the end of the tasting on 29 May. The draw will be recorded and posted to the IWS YouTube Channel. Winners will be informed by email the day after the draw to arrange collection. Winners who are present at the tasting on the night will be welcome to collect their prize immediately.
Prizes
On behalf of its members, the IWS would like to express our sincere gratitude for the generosity of the following, who have supported this fundraiser by providing wonderful prizes, including:
Petr Blechta
Gavin McGinley
Matthew Jones
Celtic Whiskey Shop
Stitch & Weave
James J. Fox
Carry Out Killarney
Meagher's Bar, O'Connell Bridge
Irish Whiskey Auctions
The Winding Stair Group
Navan Whiskey Society
Dublin Whiskey Club
Stitch & Weave Whiskey Club
Dram of the Month
Friday 29th May, Wynn's Hotel, Dublin 1 & Online (YouTube)
Dear Members,
The Irish Whiskey Society is delighted to announce our May End of Month tasting, which will raise valuable funds to support the important work of the Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless People. The Day Centre provides over 345,000 hot meals a year and 1,450 food parcels a week to support homeless people and people in need.
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We would like to acknowledge the efforts of our own long-time member Petr Blechta (Whiskey Pep) who has done amazing work in sourcing not only a great range of whiskeys for the night, but also in securing a wide array of special prizes for a fundraiser raffle (LINK TO FUNDRAISER EVENT PAGE).
On behalf of its members, the IWS would also like to express our sincere gratitude for the generosity of the Irish Whiskey Industry, who have supported this fundraiser by donating some really wonderful samples and prizes. They are also donating their time as we will have distillery representatives on hand on the night to discuss their whiskeys, including Michael Cowman from Redacted, Eoin Cooney from Teeling, Patrick Gray-Sloan from Killowen, Stephen Magennis from Dunville’s, Mark Lonergan from Copeland and Paul Costello & Dan Pennington from Cork Whiskey Society.
On the night, members will taste a wide range of rare or as-yet unseen whiskeys including the following, with potentially more whiskeys being added to the lineup:
Booking opens on Monday the 11th of May at 7.00 pm. There are spaces available for offline and online tastings, if booking an online ticket, please ensure you supply your full address, including eircode. Tickets are €40 for in-person and €45 for online, with all net proceeds going to charity.
This is expected to be a high-demand tasting, so please book your tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. It is necessary to register and complete payment (within 15 minutes) to secure your booking.
If the event sells out, please join the waiting list to be notified in case of cancellations.
11th June 2026 — Wynn’s Hotel, Dublin 1 and Online (YouTube)
The Duty Free retail outlets in Dublin and Cork Airports are operated by Aer Rianta International (ARI), forming part of a global network spanning 24 locations across 13 countries. In 2010, ARI introduced The Irish Whiskey Experience, a collection featuring up to 80 exclusive Irish whiskey expressions available only through Dublin and Cork Airports. ARI employs nearly 4,000 staff worldwide, who are supported by specialist agency teams with deep expertise across premium retail categories.
Michael Higgins (Waterford Whiskey Society) and Brían Ó Donnchadha (Alcohol Consultancy Experts) both work for A.C.E. in Dublin Airport, and they will guide attendees through a carefully selected lineup from the Irish Whiskey Collection.
Featured Whiskeys:
Special Spotlight Samples:Hinch 23 Year Old Single Malt Ximenez Spinola PX Sherry Finish. Exclusively available to Waterford Whiskey Society members, this exceptional release will be generously shared by Michael with attendees.
In addition, members will enjoy a rare sample of Ximénez Spínola PX Sherry drawn from the very cask used to finish the Hinch expression, offering a unique opportunity to experience both the whiskey and its finishing influence side by side.
Booking opens on Monday the 18th of May at 7.00 pm. There are spaces available for offline and online tastings. Please make sure to choose the right ticket type. Join the waiting list to be notified as we might be able to get more spots for the event. It is necessary to register and complete payment via Stripe (within 15 minutes) to secure your booking.
