Persse’s Distillery: Spirits of Another Kind

Along Nun’s Island stood the proud heart of Galway’s industry, Persse’s Distillery, owned by the Persse family who were kin to Lady Augusta Gregory. For decades its triple distilled pot still whiskey was shipped across the world and for more than a hundred years it was the only whiskey served in the House of Commons. The success ended under heavy British taxes. When the fires were extinguished, the workers left in silence. The Persse name later passed to Irish Distillers who never revived it, although the site remains a landmark. On cold mornings locals say the air still carries the scent of mash and yeast, and that a thin mist sometimes curls from the old still house long after sunrise. Those who pause swear they can hear the faint clink of glass from somewhere within.