There is no definitive record of when poitín came to life in Irish history. In 1661 King Charles II needed to raise funds following the English Civil War and among other taxes he introduced the first excise tax on alcohol which of course included spirit production. At first this new excise duty was enforced in cities and towns but was largely ignored in rural Ireland. In 1662 the first revenue personnel were appointed by the Irish Government to collect excise duties but achieved little success. The Pot Still Act of 1771 was introduced to try to prevent corn being ‘wasted’ and used for distilling, however this act had a disastrous impact on the legitimate distillers who were also liable for these taxes, many were forced to close down. Over zealous 'wetting of the Shamrock' can be dated back to 1681, a custom of drinking 'Patricks Pot' (Pota Pádraig) and the first reference to wearing of the green on the feast of St. Patrick. An English observer noted that many wore green crosses in their headgear. He also noted that very few were found sober that night.
Towards the end of the 18th century illicit distilling operations were common on estates where the Landlord was absent. In 1787 an act was passed by George III called the ‘Peace Preservation Act’, this act was introduced to ensure that the law’s were enforced and obeyed throughout the Kingdom which included Ireland. Later in 1779, spirit distillers had to obtain a license which meant that private distillation was now outlawed; countless illicit distillers found that the most effective form of escape was to emigrate. Whiskey distilled under this new licence, and which the excise duty was paid on became known as ‘Parliament Whiskey’. With these additional taxes, licences, quotas and new regulations the quality of ‘Parliament Whiskey’ declined while the cost of it increased. The decades prior to 1823 are referred to as the golden age of poitín. Look-outs were posted. They used iron rods as dectectors. They put a plank on the road with the iron rods standing up on it and held their ear to the other end. They could hear horses galloping five miles away.
In 1832 a report on illicit distillation stated 'Poitín must have been plentyful in past days but Alas! those days are gone, nowadays poitín is almost extinct. Let us hope that the Royal Irish Academy will procure a specimen to exhibit as evidence of the true spirit which animated Irishmen'.
Inishmurray was infamous for Poitín making. There being no natural embarkation point for access to the Island, and no easy landings, visits by the Authorities were few. This enabled the undisturbed islanders to to distil the best illicit whiskey in the County, marketed as "Old Inismurray". When the Revenue Officers did come they had to hire boats locally and word would escape. Then, in the absence of any truly sheltered landing spot, it seems it was always necessary for the local boatman to circle the Island, looking for the easiest landing place. The illicit brew was normally well hidden by the time anyone got ashore. In the late 1800s on Inishmurray Island off the coast of Sligo, the making and sale of poitin was the principal economic activity, largely because difficult landing conditions made raids tricky. The poitin maker chose windy, broken weather to go about his business so the smoke would be dispersed. The still was heated and attended to for several days to allow the runs to go through. Rising smoke was the tell-tale sign to alert gardai but the advent of gas to provide the heat made detection more difficult. At length, the authorities hit upon a plan that proved very effective. A police station was opened on the Island in the late 1850's or early 1860's. While numbers varied from time to time, the personnel usually consisted of a Sergeant and two Constables. This proved to be a master stroke - the making of illegal whiskey was no more. In one fell swoop the principle economic activity of the Islanders had ceased to function, and the inhabitants had to fall back upon the wretched subsistence which they could obtain from tilling such a rocky and desolate spot. As a result, the population went into sharp decline and those that remained could barely subsist. While relationships between Islanders and the Royal Irish Constabulary were initially quite cordial, they became somewhat strained as the years progressed and the inhabitants struggled to survive. Eventually the police were subjected to a boycott. Their supplies and communications were cut-off, and with no prospect of a resolution to the problem, the station was eventually closed down. The enforced withdrawal of the Royal Irish from the Island in January 1890, was the signal for the resumption of illicit distillation, using treacle, brown and white sugar and barley as the principle raw materials..
Inishkea Islanders (off the coast of Mayo) had a very limited source of income, fishing and poteen provided them with products that could be sold or traded on the mainland and once again the sale of poteen found willing buyers within the clergy (both Catholic and Protestant), and Gardái. There were always customers on Achill Island who eagerly awaited a new batch of poteen unfortunately this was to lead to a great tragedy in 1898 when an Inishkea Islander and his daughter were lost at sea when rowing to Achill with a cargo of poteen.
A 'Poor Law' report published in 1837 stated that an Irishman could get 'dead-drunk' for as little as 2p. This reflects the price of 'Parliament Whiskey' being much dearer at about 13 shillings per gallon, with poitín at 3 shillings per gallon. The price of corn had fallen allowing poitín makers to pass this reduction on to their customers whereas the legal whiskey still had to pay taxes etc.
In the early part of the 20th Century the Urris hills in the Inishowen peninsula of Co Donegal were such a hive of poitin making activity that the area was jokingly referred to as The Urris Poitin Republic.
Click here for 'Poitín and the Police.
Towards the end of the 18th century illicit distilling operations were common on estates where the Landlord was absent. In 1787 an act was passed by George III called the ‘Peace Preservation Act’, this act was introduced to ensure that the law’s were enforced and obeyed throughout the Kingdom which included Ireland. Later in 1779, spirit distillers had to obtain a license which meant that private distillation was now outlawed; countless illicit distillers found that the most effective form of escape was to emigrate. Whiskey distilled under this new licence, and which the excise duty was paid on became known as ‘Parliament Whiskey’. With these additional taxes, licences, quotas and new regulations the quality of ‘Parliament Whiskey’ declined while the cost of it increased. The decades prior to 1823 are referred to as the golden age of poitín. Look-outs were posted. They used iron rods as dectectors. They put a plank on the road with the iron rods standing up on it and held their ear to the other end. They could hear horses galloping five miles away.
In 1832 a report on illicit distillation stated 'Poitín must have been plentyful in past days but Alas! those days are gone, nowadays poitín is almost extinct. Let us hope that the Royal Irish Academy will procure a specimen to exhibit as evidence of the true spirit which animated Irishmen'.
Inishmurray was infamous for Poitín making. There being no natural embarkation point for access to the Island, and no easy landings, visits by the Authorities were few. This enabled the undisturbed islanders to to distil the best illicit whiskey in the County, marketed as "Old Inismurray". When the Revenue Officers did come they had to hire boats locally and word would escape. Then, in the absence of any truly sheltered landing spot, it seems it was always necessary for the local boatman to circle the Island, looking for the easiest landing place. The illicit brew was normally well hidden by the time anyone got ashore. In the late 1800s on Inishmurray Island off the coast of Sligo, the making and sale of poitin was the principal economic activity, largely because difficult landing conditions made raids tricky. The poitin maker chose windy, broken weather to go about his business so the smoke would be dispersed. The still was heated and attended to for several days to allow the runs to go through. Rising smoke was the tell-tale sign to alert gardai but the advent of gas to provide the heat made detection more difficult. At length, the authorities hit upon a plan that proved very effective. A police station was opened on the Island in the late 1850's or early 1860's. While numbers varied from time to time, the personnel usually consisted of a Sergeant and two Constables. This proved to be a master stroke - the making of illegal whiskey was no more. In one fell swoop the principle economic activity of the Islanders had ceased to function, and the inhabitants had to fall back upon the wretched subsistence which they could obtain from tilling such a rocky and desolate spot. As a result, the population went into sharp decline and those that remained could barely subsist. While relationships between Islanders and the Royal Irish Constabulary were initially quite cordial, they became somewhat strained as the years progressed and the inhabitants struggled to survive. Eventually the police were subjected to a boycott. Their supplies and communications were cut-off, and with no prospect of a resolution to the problem, the station was eventually closed down. The enforced withdrawal of the Royal Irish from the Island in January 1890, was the signal for the resumption of illicit distillation, using treacle, brown and white sugar and barley as the principle raw materials..
Inishkea Islanders (off the coast of Mayo) had a very limited source of income, fishing and poteen provided them with products that could be sold or traded on the mainland and once again the sale of poteen found willing buyers within the clergy (both Catholic and Protestant), and Gardái. There were always customers on Achill Island who eagerly awaited a new batch of poteen unfortunately this was to lead to a great tragedy in 1898 when an Inishkea Islander and his daughter were lost at sea when rowing to Achill with a cargo of poteen.
A 'Poor Law' report published in 1837 stated that an Irishman could get 'dead-drunk' for as little as 2p. This reflects the price of 'Parliament Whiskey' being much dearer at about 13 shillings per gallon, with poitín at 3 shillings per gallon. The price of corn had fallen allowing poitín makers to pass this reduction on to their customers whereas the legal whiskey still had to pay taxes etc.
In the early part of the 20th Century the Urris hills in the Inishowen peninsula of Co Donegal were such a hive of poitin making activity that the area was jokingly referred to as The Urris Poitin Republic.
Click here for 'Poitín and the Police.