John O’Connell, Founder West Cork Distillers - Irish Whisky Connections Series

West Cork Distillers Director and Founder John O’Connell grew up in the small fishing village of Union Hall in County Cork, Ireland, population under 200. His love and affinity for his homeland is not only apparent, it is also the primary reason that, in the early 2000s, O’Connell, along with two childhood friends, decided to build a distillery in West Cork. The fishing industry had experienced a devastating decline and the trio of friends wanted to do something that would help the community and boost the economy of the region. In 2003, without little to no knowledge of the Irish Whiskey industry, O’Connell and partners jumped into the business and opened West Cork Distillers. At that time, it was the first new distillery built in Ireland since 1987. The #irishwhiskey industry had almost disappeared in the 1950’s and O’Connell admits the early years were far from glamorous. West Cork began its operations with two small stills in a room at the back of one of the partner’s houses in Union Hall. With