'It speaks for itself': Popular Offaly pub showcase whiskey brand at Ploughing

Paddy Flynn’s Pub have been showcasing their whiskey brand ‘Flynn’s Irish Whiskey’ in the Offaly Pavilion at the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan this week.

The popular Cloghan establishment launched their own Whiskey brand last year which has become a well-known product across the Midlands and beyond ever since.

Flynn’s Irish Whiskey Director Joelene Minogue explained the idea behind the formation of the whiskey. She reflected: “We opened the pub in Cloghan two years ago. We had been working on the whiskey brand for some time before that because we were always interested in developing our own product.”

She continued: “I have a background as a food safety consultant so I had that experience of being involved in the industry, once we agreed that we’d create a whiskey product then we got to work and launched in September of last year.”

The local whiskey brand launched at last year’s edition of the Ploughing Championships in Offaly and they have gone from strength to strength over the past 12 months as they return to the showpiece livestock event this week.

Joelene explained: “The Ploughing coincided with our launch last year which was brilliant for us, what we’ve been able to achieve in that 12-month period since has been fantastic. We’ll also be launching the whiskey in both America and the Dominican Republic in October this year.”

She is adamant that the Ploughing Championships has played an integral role in elevating the business over the past year. “The Ploughing has been a fantastic support and outlet for us, it’s given us the opportunity to have exposure at a national level with visitors from all around the country visiting our stand.”

The Director of the Whiskey brand reveals that their biggest achievement so far has been placing as a finalist in the Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards for 2026.

Flynn’s Irish Whiskey finished in the top five places following a blind taste test in an open category at the prestigious competition just months after their launch.

The Cloghan business entered the competition last April before finding out their status as finalists in July. They will now attend the Irish Food Awards ceremony in Dingle this October to find out their final rankings in the category.

Joelene says that being recognised in the Blas na hÉireann competition has been a big accomplishment for the relatively new brand. “It’s a huge achievement for Flynn’s Irish Whiskey to be a finalist at the awards, we’re are so proud of the growth we’ve managed already at such an early stage of the business.”

It’s a remarkable rise considering the competitive nature of the whiskey market which Joelene admits is the biggest obstacle they’ve experienced so far. “It’s been a challenge to get the name out there, we’re only a startup company and you’re up against massive established whiskey companies so it’s been difficult to penetrate the market but the whiskey speaks for itself and being a finalist is an example of just that.”

When asked what sets their whiskey apart, Joelene believes: “Our whiskey is unique in the fact that it’s first matured in an American Oak ex-bourbon cask before being finished in a rum cask, rum is usually used at the beginning of the process and not the end.”

She added: “There’s no harshness as a result of this method and it’s very smooth, it gives a lovely effect and aftertaste so we’re very proud of the product and let it speak for itself.”

Joelene also lauded the support the whiskey brand has received within the Faithful County since its launch a year ago. “Offaly has been such a massive support system for us, whether it’s the customers in the pub in Cloghan, the local businesses who have stocked it as well as ‘Visit Offaly’ who have helped us to advertise, the county has been brilliant across so many aspects.”

Joelene says that there are ambitions plans in place for the whiskey brand in the future. She concluded: “Our vision going forward is to have Flynn’s Irish Whiskey in every single retailer in Ireland and to keep exporting it around the world which will continue to grow the brand.”