John Powers & Son

James Power was originally a coaching innkeeper of Thomas Street in Dublin, It is perhaps unlikely that he could have known how successful his "New" business venture would come to be when in 1791 he founded a small distillery by converting the hostelry into a distillery.

By the turn of the century James was joined in the business by his son John. Originally called James Powers & Son by 1809 the Business had become a limited company under the name of John Power and Son with the father remaining in charge.

The business continued to grow successfully and in 1823 John Power "Boasted" of a 500 gallon still with an annual output of some 33,000 gallons of whiskey per year! This was the start of something big within another 10 years the company's output had increase by ten-fold.
This success had it benefits for a family that within a generation rose from innkeepers to members of Dublin's high society. John Power was Knighted and became High Sheriff of Dublin. Such was his standing that it was he who laid the foundation stone for the O'Connell Monument.

In 1871 the distillery was rebuilt in classic Victorian style occupying almost 7 acres. It was one of Dublin's most impressive sights employing approximately 300 people. John Power and Son continued in their success and became one of the largest Irish Whiskey distillers.

Powers was the first Whiskey company to sell their whiskey in miniature bottles called Baby Power's. Such was their influence with government that changes to the Law were actually made in order to facilitate this innovation.

The last member of the Board with the Power name was Sir Thomas Talbot Power who died in 1936, although ownership remained in the family through his sisters. Powers remained a leading player in the industry until 1966 when they merged with the only two remaining distillers in the Irish republic, Cork Distillers Company and their long time rivals John Jameson & Son.

Together these three distilleries formed the Irish Distillers Group. In 1989 the Pernod Ricard empire successfully bid against Gilbey's and Guinness-Cantrell-Cochran to become the new owners of the Irish Distillers Group which also includes Bushmills Distillery in the North of Ireland bought by the group in the 1970s. On Pernod Ricards success the last four members of the old distilling families of Dublin and Cork resigned.