€3.4m profit for West Cork Distillers with plans for more growth in 2026
John O’Connell, the co-founder of West Cork Distillers, has said it had been another strong year for the business with sales at the Skibbereen-based group over €77.3m in 2024, and profits at €3.4m.
He said its alcohol-ingredient supply contracts for the ready-to-drink industry had preformed well, while contract distilling and one-off new make whiskey contracts had also done well.
He told the Irish Independent: “We have developed some very good proprietary technology that has given us a number of operational USPs (unique selling points) in terms of providing scope for innovation for our customers,” he said of the alcohol ingredient business.
Last year the company incresed employees numbers from 134 up to 215 to support the growth, proving a big boost for the Skibbereen economy.
O’Connell said the number of staff would grow further in the year, with the potential for up to 50 new people in operations across the group.
However he also that they are experiencing the same challenges as the rest of the whiskey industry, altough the issue of US tariffs hasn’t affected the business as much as others becasue the American market isn’t a focus for its branded whiskeys.
O’Connell says that they will continue to expand West Cork Distillers in 2026.
“We anticipate quite a good year in 2026 in the ingredients business,” he said. West Cork Distillers also distils spirits for other Irish and international brands.
O’Connell co-founded West Cork Distillers alongside friends Denis and Ger McCarthy in 2020 with its distillery located a 12.5 acre site on Marsh Road, Skibbereen.
In April 2023, Thin Lizzy and the Philip Lynott Estate revealed plans to launch a ‘Thin Lizzy’ whiskey brand in collaboration with West Cork Distillers. In 2015, it also released a whiskey in collaboration with The Pogues.
