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The Pearse Lyons Distillery: The Tours + Its History

The Pearse Lyons Distillery: The Tours + Its History

The Pearse Lyons ‌Distillery‌ is arguably one of the most beautiful distilleries in the world.

It is, without any doubt, the most impressive of the many whiskey distilleries in Dublin and the tour (book tickets here) gets outstanding reviews.

The relatively new distillery is housed inside the impressively restored St James’ Church on James’s St., near the Guinness Storehouse.

Although the Jameson Distillery, the Teeling Distillery and the Roe and Co Distillery are all great in their own right, none go toe-to-toe with Pearse Lyons for sheer uniqueness.

Some quick need-to-knows before visiting the Pearse Lyons Distillery

a map of the pearse lyons distillery

 

Although a visit to the Pearse Lyons Distillery is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows that’ll make your visit to one of the most unique whiskey distilleries in Ireland that bit more enjoyable.

Note: if you book a tour through one of the links below we may make a tiny commission that helps us keep this site going. You won’t pay extra, but we really do appreciate it.

1. Location

Just a stone’s throw from the iconic Guinness Storehouse, the Pearse Lyons Distillery is set inside the impressively restored St James’ Church on James St. 

2. Opening hours

The distillery is open every day, from 11:30 – 18:30.

3. Getting to the distillery from central Dublin

The distillery is easily reached from anywhere in Dublin City:

 

The different Pearse Lyons tour options

YouTube video

There are several different tours of the Pearse Lyons Distillery on offer, depending on the type of experience you’re looking for (buy tickets here).

1. The distillery tour

If you truly want to pull back the curtain and learn all about the Pearse Lyons Distillery, then join the main Distillery Tour.

Hosted by a friendly team of excellent storytellers, you’ll find out about the fascinating local history, curious characters and the unique whiskey itself during your time with them. 

The tours are fairly small in size too which makes for a more personal experience.

 

2. The cocktail experience

Of course, the experience of drinking whiskey isn’t just limited to drinking it neat or on the rocks.

The Pearse Lyons’ Cocktail Experience, and with the help of their own mixologist, you’ll be able to create modern-day cocktails using traditional Irish whiskey brands.

You’ll also enjoy a Pearse Lyons Distillery tour with a local storyteller.

3. The Gin School

The Gin School at Pearse Lyons Distillery offers a two-hour immersive experience for those in search of a unique experience.

Participants will learn about gin history, create their own gin using a miniature copper pot still, and enjoy local bites with gin cocktails.

The experience includes bottling and labeling a personalised 70cl gin bottle.

 

The story behind the Pearse Lyons Distillery

Pearse Lyons

Photo left: Donal Murphy. Others: Killian Whyte (via Fáilte Ireland)

As you’ll see from the outside, this hasn’t always been a distillery! While there’s been a church on the site since 1707 and a shrine dating back to medieval times, the existing St James’ Church you see today was built in 1859. 

The Gothic Church of Ireland structure was a place of worship for over 100 years until it closed in 1963 due to a decline in numbers.

Though frankly, it had had problems 15 years earlier when the top 30 feet of the church spire was removed due to structural problems in 1948. 

The in-between years

With its headless shape and lack of parishioners, St James’ church cut an odd figure in the Liberties for many years while all of its furniture and fittings were cleared out.

During those lost decades, the church underwent various transformations, including becoming a cash and carry, a lighting store and a food warehouse! 

After its life as Lighting World came to an abrupt end in 2009, it was purchased by a certain Pearse Lyons four years later and a wonderful regeneration story was about to begin.

 

Rebirth

“We have always dreamed about having an Irish Whiskey distillery in Dublin,” said Pearse Lyons when the Pearse Lyons Distillery opened in 2017. 

Sadly, Lyons passed away the following year, but the distillery was left in the safe hands of his family.

There are loads more stories to discover about the place (his grandad John Hubert Lyons is buried in the nearby graveyard, for a start). Also, look up and check out the new glass steeple!

Things to do nearby

best things to do in dublin Ireland

The Pearse Lyons Distillery is a stone’s throw from some of the most popular places to visit in Dublin, with a mix of historical and natural attractions nearby.

Below, you’ll find more distilleries and the world’s best-known brewery to some walks and unique things to see. 

  1. Guinness + whiskey tours (6-minute walk): The Guinness Storehouse and the Roe and Co Distillery are both around the corner
  2. Phoenix Park (11-minute walk): An enormous space and one of the largest enclosed public parks in any capital city in Europe
  3. Museum of Modern Art (11-minute walk): Housed in a building in Kilmainham dating back to the 17th century, the Museum presents a wide variety of art in a changing programme of exhibitions
  4. Kilmainham Gaol (17-minute walk): Infamous for being the site of incarceration for many Nationalist leaders, the gaol played a hugely part in Irish history
 

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