Ireland is our anchor and however far we stray, it tells all how far we’ve come...

Cider has always held a place in the history of drinks manufacture in Ireland and has been a popular drink since the 16th century. It was produced all over the country and the standard was extremely high. At a competition in Dublin in the 18th century a cider maker had to prove that he hadn’t used any fine white wine in his recipe before he was presented with an award, such was the quality of the drink.

• The Heineken brewery in Cork operates on the site of the Lady’s Well brewery founded by James J Murphy in 1856, continuing a proud history of brewing in Cork City
• The harp, which serves as the emblem of GUINNESS®, is based on a famous 14th century Irish harp known as the "O'Neill" or "Brian Boru" - you will notice the sane emblem on coinage in the Republic of Ireland but in reverse... Guinness had trademarked the harp symbol in 1876 and the Irish Free State Government of 1922!
• Irish whiskey has been distilled in Ireland since the 6th century and is one of the oldest spirit drinks in Europe
• Three Irish spirit products hold special protection under a geographical indication or GI: Irish Whiskey, Irish Cream and Irish Poitín. The same special status as Champagne in France.
• There are 38 operational Irish Whiskey and an estimated 34 Irish gin distilleries right across the country, with a further 24 Irish Whiskey distilleries in development