Connacht

The Connacht Whiskey Company Ltd. is the result of a dream shared by four men, three Americans and one Irishman, to bring single malt pot still Irish whiskey back to the West of Ireland after an absence of over 100 years. These men share bonds of family and friendship. They also share a respect of heritage and a commitment to Connacht, one of the most natural and unspoiled regions of Ireland.

The Connacht Whiskey Company Ltd. is the result of a dream shared by four men, three Americans and one Irishman, to bring single malt pot still Irish whiskey back to the West of Ireland after an absence of over 100 years. These men share bonds of family and friendship. They also share a respect of heritage and a commitment to Connacht, one of the most natural and unspoiled regions of Ireland.


Like many Irish-Americans, the Stapletons were eager to reconnect with family in Ireland. Over tea one afternoon in an Irish B&B, the American Stapletons found cousins who had chosen to remain in Ireland. Both families, on either side of the Atlantic, had flourished.

Recognising that in 2012 there were very few Irish distilleries making Irish whiskey, the Stapletons decided to develop their own distillery and provide more choice to consumers both in Ireland and the USA.

Two friends joined them to make the dream a reality. The first friend was an award-winning master distiller who had won numerous international gold medals and also custom designed stills. The second friend had over thirty years experience in the complicated U.S. spirits industry. That friend’s mother happened to have been born and raised in County Sligo, 30 minutes from the distillery.

This is the dream of four men who combine the best of what it means to be Irish and American.