Our Family
Ballykeefe Distillery is proudly owned and managed by the Ging Family who traces their unbroken farming lineage as far back as written records exist.
Morgan’s fascination with the shared history of Irish farming and Irish Whiskey led him to dream of one day diversifying his farming enterprise with the addition of a distillery as was so common centuries ago.
It took 25 years of research and painstaking effort to bring his dream to fruition. He was meticulous in his vision to build a distillery which would be a worthy modern-day descendant of the glorious history of Irish Whiskey. Therefore, with sustainability and protecting the environment central to his planning, no expense was spared to achieve the highest quality standards in every aspect of the distilling operation and tourist experience.
The support that Ballykeefe Distillery is now providing to local sporting and cultural activities, is a reflection of Morgan and Anne’s deep roots and long-standing commitment to community-based activities.
Birthplace of Irish Whiskey
Ballykeefe Distillery is situated in the heartland of Ireland, adjacent to its medieval capital, Kilkenny city. It is steeped in a historic heritage and tradition, holding the unique distinction of being the birthplace of Irish Whiskey.
It is from this area that the first written account of distilling in Ireland comes in 1324 in the Red Book of Ossory. The word “Whiskey” is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic phrase, uisce beatha, meaning “water of life”. Today, Ballykeefe Distillery brings a truly special “water of life” from centuries past to a new generation for their pleasure and good health.
Reviving a Lost Tradition
For centuries there were thousands of small family farm distilleries dotted across Ireland, a tradition that was lost for well over 200 years. Ballykeefe Distillery is the first to revive that historical legacy of Irish Whiskey being produced on a working family farm, beginning operation in August 2017.
A single estate Whiskey distillery, where all grain is sown, grown, harvested and distilled at Ballykeefe. It proudly promotes the best traditions and ethics of Artisan and Family. Great care is taken to protect the precious environment through the use of sophisticated technology and eco-friendly production practices.
From our Fields to your Glass
Our eco-friendly on farm distillery is located in the picturesque Kilkenny countryside, just 15 minutes from Kilkenny city. The Gings view themselves very much as custodians of the combined farm and distillery operations, aspiring to hand the farm on to future generations as a more sustainable operation than when they started farming in Ballykeefe.
To this end, the distillery was established to complement and diversify operations on the farm which began as a beef and tillage operations. We grow our barley on our family farm here in the picturesque Kilkenny countryside. This is very important to us as we can assure you, that our barley is grown to the highest quality. Once our barley has reached peak ripeness it is harvested. The straw that comes from the harvest, is used as bedding for the cattle during the winter months and we feed the by-products of distillation to the livestock so there is absolutely no off-farm waste to contaminate the environment.
The creation of the first Whiskey distillery in Kilkenny in over 200 years has revived a lost tradition, making Ballykeefe Distillery a unique grain-to-glass operation.
