Irish Distillers Appoints First New Cooper In Decades

Irish Distillers, producer of whiskeys such as Jameson, Redbreast and Powers, has announced the appointment of its second new cooper in over 45 years.

Derek Cronin, who originally trained as a carpenter, has successfully completed his four-year apprenticeship under Master Cooper Ger Buckley. Coopers are the tradesmen who make and repair casks. His apprenticeship provided him with the opportunity to travel the world, spending time in Scotland, France and Spain working in a number of cooperages broadening his coopering skills and knowledge.

Derek, from Ardmore in County Waterford, is only the second newly qualified cooper at Midleton Distillery in more than 45 years. Prior to joining Irish Distillers, Derek trained as a carpenter and spent seven years living in Australia honing his craft. Upon his return, he worked as a carpenter with PJ Hegarty & Sons in Cork before joining Irish Distillers as a General Operative in 2019. Eager to return to his passion of craftsmanship, Derek commenced his apprenticeship to become a cooper in 2020.

In his new role, Derek, who is registered with the Scottish Cooperage Federation, will be responsible for the repair and maintenance of over 2 million casks on site in Midleton, as well as participating in various coopering and cask related projects in the distillery.

Cronin said, “Having trained and worked as a carpenter, I’ve always had a passion for craft and working with tools. When I joined Irish Distillers, I was immediately struck by Ger’s skill and knowledge and really admired his passion for the ancient craft of coopering. It’s what inspired me to train as a cooper.

It has been a privilege to work so closely with Ger over the last four years, learning about the craft and the history. I look forward to continuing to learn from Ger and expanding my knowledge and skills.”

Midleton currently has two working cooperages with one based in the old Midleton distillery and a new cooperage located within the Spirit Store at the main distillery.