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bronze plaque · Northern Ireland

Bushmills distillery

Photograph at the Bushmills distillery bronze plaque
Photograph via Open Plaques.

This bronze plaque marks a site historically associated with the Old Bushmills Distillery, a prominent Irish whiskey producer. It acknowledges the building's past function as a warehouse, specifically for jute sacks. The distillery itself was established in 1784, although its branding harkens back to a 1608 royal licence for whiskey distillation in the region. The plaque serves to commemorate the enduring legacy of Bushmills whiskey and its connection to this specific location within Northern Ireland.

The memorial highlights a significant facet of industrial heritage in County Antrim, within the broader tradition of Irish whiskey production. The Old Bushmills Distillery, founded in 1784, has a long and complex history, including periods of closure and reconstruction. Its continuous operation since a fire in 1885 underscores its resilience and importance. The use of water from Saint Columb's Rill connects its product to the local natural environment, a common theme in the production of spirits. The distillery's role as a major tourist attraction further embeds its significance within the region's cultural and economic landscape.

This plaque is situated on Hill Street, within Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It can be found on a building that once served as a jute sack warehouse, specifically at numbers 5-35. Visitors might observe architectural details such as barrels and the numbering 13-22, which hint at the building's earlier history related to whiskey distribution. Parking may be available nearby on street or in designated parking areas, allowing visitors to approach the plaque respectfully and observe its details.

The Old Bushmills Distillery stands in the village of Bushmills, County Antrim, in Northern Ireland. It is recognised as a significant producer of Irish whiskey, a spirit that carries its name internationally. The foundation of the distillery dates back to 1784, although its brand label also notes the year 1608, referencing an ancient royal permission for distilling in the region.

Water for the distillery is sourced from Saint Columb's Rill, a stream flowing into the River Bush. Over its history, the distillery has experienced periods of inactivity, but it has been operating almost without interruption since reconstruction following a fire in 1885. Today, it serves as a notable heritage site and a destination for visitors interested in its long distilling tradition.

Original summary by TributeLegacy, informed by public sources.

Source: Open Plaques. Geographic data via OpenStreetMap.

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Data sources

Location records are drawn from open, licence-clean datasets, kept here with attribution and gratitude to the people who maintain them.

  • Open Plaques, dedicated to the public domain (CC0). See openplaques.org.
  • Wikidata, available under the CC0 1.0 Universal dedication.
  • © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence.
  • Historic England, National Heritage List for England, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. War memorial records are drawn from open community datasets (OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, NHLE) - never from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which is excluded.

Editorial descriptions, photography and tribute links are original TributeLegacy work, layered on top of the open data.

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