Pearse Lyons Distillery at St. James, Dublin’s new boutique Irish Whiskey experience located in the heart of The Liberties, is due to open its doors to the public in September. Acquired in 2013 by Pearse and Deirdre Lyons, the property had many previous incarnations, including a lighting shop. Pearse, Dublin born, has strong family connections to The Liberties and St. James Church, which compelled the Lyons family to purchase the site and transform it into Dublin’s newest visitor attraction.

“Pearse’s family lived, worked and did everything in the area,” said Deirdre, director of corporate image and design at Pearse Lyons Distillery. “Five generations on his mother’s side, the Dunnes, traded as coopers — it was in the DNA, if you like.”

In 1948, his grandfather, John Hubert Lyons, was one of the last people buried in the graveyard at St. James.

Pearse holds a Ph.D. in yeast fermentation and was the first Irishman to receive a formal degree in brewing and distilling from the British School of Malting and Brewing. He worked for Irish Distillers as part of the design team that built the Midleton distillery in Cork. After immigrating to the U.S. in 1977, an opportunity arose in 1999 for him to purchase the Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company in Kentucky. Pearse has now brought his passion for brewing and distilling back to The Liberties in Dublin.


Pearse and Deirdre Lyons, founders of Pearse Lyons Distillery, Dublin’s new boutique Irish Whiskey experience, located in the heart of The Liberties. (Courtesy of Pearse Lyons Distillery)
The “We wanted to do something in Dublin based on our knowledge of Kentucky, where we already have a distillery,” said Deirdre. “Becoming part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, I was able to witness how a cluster of distilleries could work together to attract more visitors. We would love to be part of a whiskey trail in Dublin.

“At one time in the history of The Liberties, this area was known as the ‘Go