Latest news with #Midleton
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- Climate
- BreakingNews.ie
Flooded Cork dad is now an 'unwilling amateur weather expert'
A Cork father whose home was destroyed by flooding said the constant threat of rising rainfall is affecting his mental health. Alan Mahy is now constantly monitoring the weather forecasts and has called on Met Éireann to issue flood warnings as well as wind and rain warnings in forecasts. Advertisement His calls come after the release of the first ever national climate change risk assessment by the Environmental Protection Agency, which says that the country is facing 'immediate critical risks from extreme weather events " In recent months, the dad of four girls had to erect flood gates outside his home while celebrations were ongoing inside for his daughter's seventh birthday. When Alan and his wife Orla moved to a detached home in Midleton in December 2021, they thought they had found their dream home, until Storm Babet hit in October 2023. "I've become an unwilling amateur expert now at reading the river and river gauges," he said. Advertisement Before Babet, "I was on holidays when my neighbour rang to say that the river level was now higher than the bridge used by eleven homes on the lane. The same bridge collapsed under the force of the flood. Water was already in our home at this point, and it was too late to do anything. "18 months after the flood, if water gets to our driveway, others know to start panicking. "We are now the flood warning system for Midleton." The family home was destroyed, with the ground floor under over three feet of water and the house was under-insured for what they lost. Advertisement "The kid's toys, floors, kitchen units, sofas, everything you can imagine was destroyed and we had to rent somewhere to live for almost four months while repairs were being carried out." Alan Mahy with his daughters at a protest in May 2024 Early interim flood measures have been put in place by the local authorities, but Alan believes it could take up to ten years to fully implement the Midleton Flood Relief Scheme. "About 1600 tonnes of gravel and stones that were raising the river levels were removed by the local council outside our home, and we are very grateful for that. "In other parts of Midleton, there have been temporary flood defences put in place, in the form of large sandbags along the riverbank. Advertisement "But I firmly believe there should be a flood warning system like they have in the UK and other countries. "A yellow rain alert might not seem a lot, but if it is on top of days and days of rainfall, then that yellow rain alert might be all that is needed to send the river into flood and threaten my home." Alan admits that the constant watching of rainfall measures has affected his mental health. "We are trying to put on a brave face for our daughters. Every time there is heavy rain, they are asking if the house is going to be flooded again. Advertisement "It is obviously on their minds as well, and during the birthday party, I took the precaution of putting up sandbags and flood gates because I was worried about the heavy rainfall after four days of rain. "Unfortunately, my prediction was right; the heavy rainfall over the previous week meant the river was too high to cope with the yellow warning for rainfall. "In actual fact, the rain that fell that night wasn't too much, but it was enough to raise the river level above the river bank. The county council came to our aid with sandbags. "When the river breaks the banks and comes up the driveway, I have to move the cars to higher ground and be on alert all the time. We feel embattled in our own home. "Carlow Weather, as far as I'm concerned, was the only forecaster to correctly predict how bad Babet would be. A few days in advance of Babet, he was warning East Cork for risk of bad floods – he was correct, and yet there were no actions taken by the authorities to prepare for the worst. "Constantly watching the forecasts and monitoring the river levels is just exhausting, and it is no way for a family to live." Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather has been consistent in his calls for a flood alert system in the country and sent his latest email to government ministers in January. In the email, he says: "We are going to see more extreme weather in the coming years, especially flooding, and we still have no flood warning system or any real dedicated resources for weather event responses. "We need far more weather stations recording data, especially rainfall data in the upland areas that feed the rivers." Measures he has outlined include flood response teams as well as groups trained to assist ESB networks with power restoration in terms of clearing roads and trees and replacing poles. He also called for military drones to be deployed after storms to map flooded areas, fallen power lines and blocked roads and feed information to local authorities and a dedicated national weather emergency app for real-time alerts and information on power outages, emergency hubs and road closures. In a statement, Cork County Council say: "Regarding flood warnings, Cork County Council relies on Met Éireann forecasts and the National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management (NDFEM). "Locally, information received from Met Éireann and NDFEM is augmented by river gauge trends and reports from area engineers and considered by Cork County Council's Severe Weather Assessment Team. "The Severe Weather Assessment Team convenes as soon as a significant risk of severe weather becomes apparent and meets regularly thereafter at least until the risk has abated. The team advises and coordinates the relevant sections within Cork County Council regarding risk and response, including press releases and social media posts to help keep citizens informed."
Irish Daily Mirror
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Cork v Waterford live score updates from the Munster Hurling Championship
In a week, Cork went from favourites to win an All-Ireland to fighting for survival. That was the nature of Limerick's display last weekend. That is also the nature of the Munster SHC. You get nothing easy here. Look at Clare. All-Ireland champions last July. Out of this year's Championship before the end of May. Cork, too, could be looking at the end of their summer if they lose this one. However, the bookies favour them to send Waterford crashing out of the Championship instead, with Cork sneaking their way into a Munster final, where they will face Limerick once again. The throw-in is at 4pm and we will be live with all the action. This is the Cork team named to play today's match. 1. Patrick Collins, Ballinhassig 2. Ger Millerick, Fr O'Neill's 3. Eoin Downey, Glen Rovers 4. Seán O'Donoghue, Inniscarra 5. Cormac O'Brien, Newtownshandrum 6. Ciarán Joyce, Castlemartyr 7. Mark Coleman, Blarney 8. Tim O'Mahony, Newtownshandrum 9. Brian Roche, Bride Rovers 10. Shane Barrett, Blarney (Capt) 11. Darragh Fitzgibbon, Charleville 12. Séamus Harnedy, St Ita's 13. Patrick Horgan, Glen Rovers 14. Alan Connolly, Blackrock 15. Brian Hayes, St Finbarr's ………………………………….. 16. Bríon Saunderson, Midleton 17. Damien Cahalane, St Finbarr's 18. Eoin Roche, Bride Rovers 19. Tommy O'Connell, Midleton 20. Ethan Twomey, St Finbarr's 21. Luke Meade, Newcestown 22. Conor Lehane, Midleton 23. Diarmuid Healy, Lisgoold 24. Jack O'Connor, Sarsfields 25. William Buckley, St. Finbarr's 26. Shane Kingston, Douglas
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Whiskey Of The Week: Midleton Silent Distillery Collection Chapter 6
It was just a couple of months ago, as I write this, that the venerable Bushmills distillery announced the release of the oldest Irish single malt whiskey ever bottled — a 46-year-old sherried malt almost the color of Coca-Cola, with a suggested retail price of $12,500. It was a very big deal... but only a few weeks went by before it was upstaged by the sixth and final release in the Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection, a single pot still whiskey aged for a cool half-century. Now, single pot still whiskey is not the same as single malt whiskey. 'Single malt' refers to a whiskey consisting entirely of malted barley, with distillate from a single distillery. Single pot still whiskeys, while also coming from a single distillery, contain a mixture of malted and unmalted barley, as well as other grains such as oats. So both Bushmills and Midleton can proudly boast of being the oldest ever in their respective categories. But a nice-round half century of aging is a little... sexier, I suppose, than 46 years. And there's also the source of the whiskeys in question. Bushmills is, obviously, still a going concern — in fact it's the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world, dating back to 1608. Midleton also survives, its distillery home to seven of Ireland's best-known whiskey brands, including Jameson, Redbreast, and Powers. But the whiskey from the Silent Distillery Collection was distilled at the Old Midleton distillery, which opened for business exactly 200 years ago, in 1825, and shut its doors for good in 1975 (it now serves as a visitors' center for Jameson). Chapter Six is in fact, according to the brand, the last of the Old Midleton whiskey to be bottled. Which, in part, explains why a bottle of this stuff will run you a cool $60,000, which makes $12,500 for Bushmills' 46-year-old seems almost a bargain. Suitable for display: the last "new" whiskey we'll ever see from the Old Midleton distillery is entitled to elaborate trappings. Given how long Irish whiskey has been a going concern, it's fair to wonder why the longest-aged Irish whiskey is 'only' 50 years old. After all, even second-tier distilleries in Scotland have released their share of 50-year-old bottlings in the last several years, and both Glenlivet (through independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail) and the Macallan have pushed the envelope with 80-year-olds. The sad fact of the matter is that Irish whiskey as a whole was in decline through almost all of the 20th century. It all but flatlined in the 1970s, when only two distilleries were still producing it — one of which was the replacement for Old Midleton. It wasn't until the late 1980s that a faint heartbeat was detected, and there wasn't much supply or demand for extra-aged Irish whiskeys until the 21st century, when the category once again picked up steam, and also picked up interest from serious whiskeyphiles. The last 'new' whiskey we'll ever see from Old Midleton was distilled by Max Crockett, one of the seminal figures in Irish whiskey history, in what at the time was the world's largest pot still. As you can probably guess by the fact that this is Chapter Six, Midleton has released five previous 'chapters' in the Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection, aged 45-49 years and finished in a variety of refill bourbon and refill sherry casks (meaning they'd previously been used more than once). For the final bottling, the extraordinary step was taken to assemble a special barrel using the staves and heads from barrels that aged Chapters 1-5. That's basically like taking pieces from five different jigsaw puzzles and figuring out a way to put them together in some coherent order. Ger Buckley, a fifth-generation cooper and Midleton's current master cooper, somehow managed the feat. The whiskey was married in this special cask for six months. Whether the fortunate few who buy a bottle will want to open it is a reasonable question, given the price tag. For those who want to know what it tastes like without popping the top on the hand-blown Waterford crystal decanter in which the whiskey is encased.... Bottled at a surprisingly strong cask strength of 53% ABV, it's obvious that, notes of dry oak and leather, this spirit is no spring chicken. But it's not overly tannic, and the dryness is offset by lush, lingering dark fruit notes — think dried pear and apricot. I've heard that the whiskey was originally laid down in a combination of refill bourbon and refill sherry casks, and I've also heard that it was entirely ex-bourbon casks. Either one seems plausible, though I would expect more orange and raisin notes from a sherry cask. Regardless, it's quite the elegant dram, with plenty of depth, this is one to savor regardless of the price. Even if you choose not to drink your $60,000 investment — about 200 of which are available worldwide, according to the brand — it's still pretty to look at. The aforementioned Waterford crystal decanter is housed inside a bespoke case made by Irish artist John Galvin, who has worked on other high-profile whiskies such as Glen Grant's 70 year old Devotion. The case features five rare Irish woods previously used for the cases of the first five chapters of the Silent Distillery Collection; the sixth wood used is a blue bird's-eye maple. With gold trim and leather interior, it sounds more like the interior of a car than a box made for holding whiskey. But since this whiskey costs as much as a car, it all kind of makes sense.
Irish Times
15-05-2025
- Irish Times
Man (30s) arrested after car hit three cyclists in Cork
Gardaí have arrested a man aged in his 30s following a collision between a car and three cyclists in Co Cork on Wednesday night. The collision happened shortly after 8pm on the R627, a regional road in the Westpark area of Midleton. The Garda Press Office said the car failed to remain at the scene of the collision. Gardaí said a man was later arrested on suspicion of drink-driving. He was released as investigations are ongoing. READ MORE Emergency services were called to the crash site and the road was closed for a forensic examination. It has since reopened. The cyclists were treated for their injuries, which are believed to be non-life threatening.
Irish Examiner
08-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Master of an art with 200 years of creative history
In 2025, Midleton Distillery celebrates its 200th anniversary, marking two centuries of Irish whiskey tradition and the home of renowned brands like Jameson, Redbreast, and Midleton Very Rare. 'I have the best job in the world,' says Kevin O'Gorman, the Master Distiller at Midleton Distillery since 2020 — one of the most coveted positions in world whiskey. Such a declaration is a rarity in the varied world of work — but an admission that Kevin underlines as the unadorned truth. Kevin's brief includes responsibility for maintaining the quality of all new pot and grain distillates produced at Midleton, in addition to overseeing the production process from brewing to distillation, and the tasting of all whiskeys to ensure the quality of all new pot and grain distillates produced at Midleton. 'Since starting my career in Irish Distillers in 1998, I have been lucky to learn from master distillers like Barry Crockett and Brendan Monks about the intricacies of the whiskey production, from grain to glass.' Having held the role of Master of Maturation since 2007, Kevin took over from Brian Nation, who served as Master Distiller since 2013. Kevin O'Gorman, Master Distiller at Midleton Distillery since 2020. Acutely aware of his link in an esteemed chain, Kevin pays homage to his predecessors: 'It is impossible not to be conscious of your place in history here, and how important my predecessors in this role have been. We go all the way back to 1825, and that is obviously a hugely important milestone in our history.' Kevin is also tasked with sourcing the casks used for maturing the raw spirit, smooth running of the maturation process and finally tending to the product as it matures in cask, including working with the 150-year aged wood from North America, France and Spain. A brand ambassador across the globe, he represents Irish Distillers on an international scale. Topping his extensive work portfolio is responsibility for the Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection — the name derives from having been distilled at the Old Midleton Distillery, which 'fell silent' after it closed in 1975. 'Like the distillate itself, the maturation journey of this whiskey is both complex and rare. 'In my former position as Master of Maturation it was a joy and privilege to play my part in the overseeing of the aging process in recent years, taking it to the final process if its bottling at peak perfection. It really is liquid gold.' A Cork native, Kevin is a graduate of the University of Limerick and holds a Diploma in Distilling from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling. Having started his career in Midleton in 1998, working as a distiller under the tutelage of Barry Crockett, then moving to maturation where he honed his skills under then Master of Maturation Brendan Monks. Working with distillery teams in facilitating spirit options for new brands like Method & Madness and extensions in the Jameson, Redbreast and Spot range, Kevin spent much of his time pre-pandemic travelling to source the highest quality casks from world renowned cooperages, while overseeing the full maturation process across the portfolio. 'The growth of Jameson and our premium whiskeys has been nothing short of extraordinary,' Kevin notes of the upward trajectory. 'There is clearly a demand for premium whiskies out there, people want to try something different.' In a career that has taken him on a remarkable journey so far, this man with 'the best job in the world' has no hesitation of extolling its virtues to the next generation of graduates coming up. 'There are tremendous opportunities within the industry, and we have taken on so many people over the past number of years through our graduate programme. Working in an industry with such great growth prospects and offering such varied and interested options, it really is a career choice like none other.'
