Ballina Distillery
Whiskey distillery in Ballina, County Mayo — the first distillery built in County Mayo in 150 years, established on the site of the old Duffy's bakery in the town. Originally founded in 2015 as Connacht Whiskey Company (also known as Connacht Distillery), the operation was acquired by Terroirs Distillers (owner of Tullibardine Distillery in Scotland) in September 2024 and comprehensively rebranded in November 2025 as Ballina Irish Whiskey. The rebrand brought two inaugural single malt expressions — Dúbailte (double distilled) and Triarach (triple distilled) — and a new website at ballinawhiskey.com, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the Mayo distillery.
[!warning] Major rebrand Connacht Distillery was acquired by Terroirs Distillers in September 2024 and rebranded as Ballina Irish Whiskey in November 2025. The wiki entry retains the id "connacht" for continuity. The active brand name is now Ballina. The website moved from https://www.connachtwhiskey.com to https://ballinawhiskey.com. Brands have changed from "Connacht Single Malt" and "Ballyhoo Whiskey" to Dúbailte Double Wood and Triarach Triple Wood.
Tours
Available
On-site Shop
Open
Online Shop
Available
History
Connacht Whiskey Company was founded in 2015 in Ballina, County Mayo, in a converted bakery building at the heart of this market town on the River Moy. The ambition was significant: to restore whiskey distilling to County Mayo after a 150-year absence. The distillery operated for nearly a decade producing a combination of sourced and own-distilled whiskeys, including the Ballyhoo brand, which helped fund operations while the distillery's own stock matured.
In September 2024 Terroirs Distillers — a company that also owns Tullibardine Distillery in Perthshire, Scotland — acquired the Mayo distillery. The new ownership brought a clear strategic vision and, in November 2025, the distillery was publicly rebranded as Ballina Irish Whiskey, launching two inaugural single malt expressions and a new identity. The Dúbailte (Irish for "double") and Triarach ("triple" in Irish) names highlight the two distinct distillation approaches, differentiating the range by production method in a way that is unusual in Irish whiskey.
Production
The Ballina distillery (formerly Connacht) operates from the converted Duffy's bakery site in Ballina, County Mayo. The distillery produces single malt Irish whiskey from 100% Irish malted barley, using both double and triple distillation as distinct production approaches. Double distillation (Dúbailte) yields a richer, more flavourful spirit with more congeners; triple distillation (Triarach) gives a lighter, cleaner result in the traditional Irish style. No specific still size or annual capacity has been publicly disclosed by the new Ballina ownership.
Tasting Character
The two inaugural Ballina expressions differentiate by distillation method. Dúbailte Double Wood (double distilled, 43% ABV, €49.90) is richer and more robust — the extra congeners retained from double distillation give a more complex spirit with fuller body and longer finish. Triarach Triple Wood (triple distilled, 43% ABV, €59.90) is lighter, cleaner, and more elegant — the classic Irish triple-distilled style carried through three wood maturation types. Both are bottled as small batch 100% Irish malted barley single malts.
What They Produce
Notable Bottlings
- Dúbailte Double Wood — Double distilled; 100% Irish malted barley; small batch; 43% ABV; €49.90 RRP
- Triarach Triple Wood — Triple distilled; 100% Irish malted barley; small batch; 43% ABV; €59.90 RRP
- Ballyhoo Whiskey — Earlier brand from the Connacht era; sourced whiskey; no longer the focus of the portfolio
Visiting
Tours are available at the Ballina distillery. Visitors can tour the production facility and enjoy a dram. Online shop at ballinawhiskey.com. Physical shop on-site. Address: Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland.
Official Website
