Instilling Curraghmore’s Spirit
- Dermot Keyes
- 1 hour ago
- 5 min read
“Projects like this don't happen overnight,” says Richard de la Poer Beresford (Richard Tyrone), the Chief Executive of Curraghmore Whiskey.
How right he is. Ask anyone involved in producing whiskey, where time goes hand in glove with the level of investment and a commitment to quality. You can’t have one without the other two.
We’re sat in his office, just off Curraghmore House’s vast courtyard, discussing the brand’s 2025 Triple Cask Edition which, come the turn of the year, had “almost entirely” sold out all 2,400 bottles crafted for its limited release.
“We're very happy with the Triple Cask,” said Richard. “We only release once a year and a lot of work has gone on behind the scenes before it's actually been ready to build up certain partnerships in foreign markets.
“Added to this is the deepening connection to our community, which we've built up in recent years, which really began to rake root in 2018 when we launched our cask membership programme, and from the off we have maintained a huge commitment to quality.
“Many other brands have got going by sourcing liquid, to be able to sell off the bat. We’ve not done that because obviously, whiskey has to mature to a certain age before it qualifies technically as Irish whiskey. Young whiskeys never really qualify to be sold at a higher price point, and the price point has always been one of our key considerations by the time we’re bottling and retailing.”
“More than just a new whiskey.”
In a New Year email to subscribers, Richard said the Triple Cask was “more than just a new whiskey; it represented the culmination of two years of work to elevate our brand”. Having seen and tasted the end product, and given the healthy sales, it’s fair to say that the hard work had paid off handsomely.
The packaging of Curraghmore’s second whiskey is immediately striking, featuring a map of the vast estate and many of its fields, including the names of those who spent their entire working lives there. As the grandson of a Curraghmore shepherd, I suspect that I appreciate this touch a little more than those not as fortunate to have such an enduring bond to one of County Waterford’s most striking home addresses.
Embossed with the crest of the 9th Marquess of Waterford, the Triple Cask (€200 per bottle) is housed in a cotton-touch pack and gold foiling which opens in a manner akin to welcoming visitors through the estate gates for a unique and memorable experience. As Richard noted: “We wanted the presentation to finally match the exceptional Single Estate liquid within.”
The base into which the bottle sits features a gold printed slogan: ‘EXPERIENCE AN 850 YEAR LEGACY’, this brand’s unique selling point in a highly competitive market. Longevity is central to both the story of the estate and to the development of its whiskey, so weaving these strands together was clearly a prudent and attention-drawing decision.
“We had great feedback about the liquid from our first release, but one common theme was that the packaging didn't stand up to the price point,” Richard added.
Reflecting the price point
“So we wanted to make sure we could deliver that before asking our consumers to pay that large sum of money for a single bottle of whiskey. We felt the experience had to reflect the price point and the packaging didn’t fully help with that the first time around.
“This is a high price point whiskey, something that you're going to enjoy as part of a special celebration. So we wanted the packaging to reflect that special experience, but also to tell the story of Curraghmore Estate, the oldest family home in Ireland.
“Since 1167, my family have lived here and the estate is intertwined with Waterford’s history, something which many people throughout Waterford understood long before All Together Now was first hosted here – through the connection to the land and the community that surrounds Curraghmore. Of course, the festival has developed the estate’s profile further among those who may not have known about Curraghmore previously, but it has also proven beneficial in developing the brand.”
Experience is at the heart of Curraghmore Whiskey’s ongoing development, according to Richard. “Noel Sweeney, who is our master distiller, is known within the industry on a global basis and is among the world's most knowledgeable and qualified producers of Irish whiskey,” he said.
“Noel started working with us at the beginning of 2023 before our inaugural release and reviewed our whole stock portfolio without initially knowing whether there'd be a whiskey there that he'd be happy to put his name to or not. But thankfully he was delighted with what we’d developed and that’s led to this Triple Cask, which he felt married exceptionally well together.”
Matured in three different casks
Richard continued: “It’s been matured in three different casks – an Ex-Oloroso Sherry European Oak, Virgin French Oak (both four years old) and Ex-Bourbon European Oak (five years old) and Noel is very happy with the product.
“We work with Ned Morrissey from Dunmore, who has been farming Curraghmore tillage land for the past 27 years. I've benefited enormously from his depth of knowledge and experience, which has been so important in terms of our whiskey production.
“Without high quality raw materials, you don't get a high-quality product. The balance between producing a good product crop of malting barley, an average crop and a bad crop is very, very fine.
“And it takes real knowledge of the land and a huge understanding of how each field works. So I’m very grateful for Ned’s involvement and the input that he has brought to this project.”
While the development of an on-site, carbon-neutral distillery in the nearby farmyard remains another exciting objective,
consolidating the product is Richard’s immediate goal.
Richard’s enthusiasm is as palpable as his commitment to building a product and a brand which will succeed and endure.
New in the game
“We're new in the game. We have a team that has a lot of experience, and for me, as an entrepreneur, the only experience that I have (in the industry) is building this business from the ground up.
“But we're very lucky here. We have a lot to work with in terms of a brand opportunity because of the history, the heritage, and this place, this estate. So what we’re really focusing on now is trying to create an authentic and enduring product. That’s quite the challenge, but it’s a very exciting one…
“The reality is that whiskey is a tough game because you're heavily leveraged. You have to invest a lot of capital up front before you can get it back. Of course, time will tell, but right now, considering the environment, I think we're well positioned. Every day is a challenge and we've just got to face each one in the best way we can. We have a long-term mentality so we will not be making any rash decisions. It’s a step-by-step challenge, building what we hope to be a legacy Irish whisky brand.
He stated: “There’s a latin motto which features on the cork (of the Triple Cask) – ‘Tandem Fit Surculus Arbor’ – which means ‘from a small shoot grows a great tree’. It’s all about future planning.”
An Irish phrase felt equally relevant when reflecting on Richard’s words and hopes: “Tús maith leath le hoibre.” Curraghmore Whiskey is here. Let’s hope it’s here to stay.
For further details, visit https://curraghmorewhiskey.com/
Originally published in The Dungarvan Observer, February 20th 2026
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