The story.
The distillery belongs to Dundalk’s older industrial landscape. The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records the surviving County Museum building as a five-storey former distillery dated 1799. Its masonry, scale and original function make the building itself a historical companion to ONER’s mural.
The work can be read as a reminder of the labour, storage, transport and trade behind an industry, as well as its landmark chimney. The original festival account describes the chimney’s role as a navigational reference for ships approaching Dundalk.
Distilling was for many years one of the major industries and employers in Dundalk, it covered a 10 acre site and was home to the tallest industrial chimney in Ireland at that time, standing at 162 ft high. It was also square in shape, which was unusual at this time. The chimney was a local landmark and was, back in those days, a beacon for ships bound for Dundalk Port.
The ‘Dundalk Distillery’ was established at this location in 1800, and in 1807 under the management of Malcolm Brown & Co. it went from strength to strength. In 1817 By 1837 it was capable of producing 300,000 gallons of whiskey! this substantial building is an important feature within the historical landscape of Dundalk. Two of the distillery buildings still exist, and after a beautiful restoration are now home to the County Museum and Dundalk Library.
Learn more
