Reviving the Spirits of Belfast with McConnell’s Whisky CEO John Kelly

Irish Stew Podcast

Join us in jail, or is it gaol, as in the Crumlin Road Gaol, the last Victorian era prison relic in Northern Ireland, now being put to better use as the home of the Belfast Distillery Company, working to revive the classic old McConnell’s Whisky brand and creating a major new hospitality and tourist attraction in the process.

We stop for “just the one” in this all-too brief episode, where CEO John Kelly lays out the twin goals for the distillery: “Restore the legend of McConnell’s Irish Whisky that was and will be again, and bring distilling back to Belfast.”

The 22-year veteran of Guinness and Diageo knows the spirits industry…and the neighborhood, having gone to school just over the prison wall, back in the bad old days of the Crumlin Road Gaol.

John shares insights on why Irish whiskey lost favor, how it is now roaring back, and the immersive experiences drawing visitors to this dramatic new distillery.
And BTW—it isn’t a typo—McConnel’s spells it “whisky” without the “e”.

Links:

McConnell's Whisky

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter (X)
• LinkedIn
• YouTube

John Kelly

• LinkedIn

Episode Details: Season 7, Episode 18; Total Episode Count: 121

Chapters

1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. The McConnell's Whisky Idea (00:02:04)

3. John Kelly Backstory (00:03:21)

4. The Near Death of Irish Whiskey (00:05:55)

5. Reviving McConnell's Whiskey (00:07:43)

6. A Bottle in the Wall (00:08:59)

7. The McConnell's Visitor Experience (00:10:38)

8. John and Martin Recap (00:13:23)

9. Credits (00:14:35)